CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Quinton Coats launched two home runs and drove in five runs, powering the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 9-5 victory over the UC San Diego Tritons in a nonconference baseball game Thursday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.

The Bearcats, who improved to 10-4, overcame an early deficit with a relentless offensive attack that produced 14 hits. The Tritons fell to 4-7 despite managing only three hits, two of which were solo home runs.

UC San Diego struck first in the third inning when Nick Costello homered to deep right field for his second of the season. The Tritons extended their lead to 5-0 in the fourth. After Michael Martinez singled, Alex Leopard connected for his first home run of the year, a two-run shot to center field.

Cincinnati starter Nathan Taylor settled in after the early trouble. The right-hander struck out 11 over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks to earn the win. He set the stage for the Bearcats’ comeback.

The most important sequence of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning, turning the contest decisively in Cincinnati’s favor. Trailing 5-3, the Bearcats loaded the bases with no outs against Tritons reliever Nathan Ries, who had entered in the fourth. After a mound visit, Coats stepped in and demolished a 1-0 offering from Ries, sending a three-run homer deep over the left field wall. The blast, his eighth of the season, erased the deficit and gave Cincinnati a 6-5 lead it would not relinquish.

Coats, the first baseman who entered the game hitting .429 over his last four contests, had earlier cut into the Tritons’ lead with a two-run homer in the third inning. His five-RBI performance was the driving force behind the Bearcats’ offense.

Cincinnati added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Jackson Smith, who finished 2 for 3 with an RBI triple, walked and later scored on a single by Lauden Brooks in the sixth. In the seventh, the Bearcats tacked on two more runs on an RBI infield single by Kameron Guidry and a sacrifice fly by Alec Jones, stretching the lead to 9-5.

The UC San Diego offense, stifled by Taylor for much of the afternoon, mounted a final threat in the seventh. After Taylor departed, the Tritons loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tommy Buczkowski via a walk, an error and a hit batter, plating two unearned runs. Cincinnati turned to Chad Brown out of the bullpen, and the right-hander extinguished the rally by striking out Leopard looking. Brown was dominant in relief, pitching 2 1/3 perfect innings and striking out four to secure the win.

UC San Diego used six pitchers in the loss. Starter Nathan Ries took the brunt of the damage, charged with three earned runs in one inning of work. Connor Etnire was charged with two runs over 1 1/3 innings.

The game’s outcome aligned with the pregame projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 7-4 Cincinnati victory. The Bearcats’ ELO win probability was set at 63.10 percent.

The two teams continue their four-game series Friday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.