CINCINNATI (Interstat) — A four-run sixth inning, powered by back-to-back home runs from Luke Sefcik and Jackson Smith, propelled the Cincinnati Bearcats to an 8-5 victory over the Wright State Raiders on Tuesday night at Marge Schott Stadium.

A crowd of 1,265 saw the Bearcats improve to 21-10, while the Raiders fell to 11-14.

The game’s pivotal sequence erased a one-run deficit and shifted momentum permanently to the home side. After Wright State reliever Keegan Holmstrom entered with one out in the sixth, Conlan Daniel singled. Sefcik, Cincinnati’s second baseman, then laced an RBI double down the left field line to tie the game at 5.

On the next pitch, Smith launched a two-run homer to deep right field, his fourth of the season, to give Cincinnati a 7-5 lead. Quinton Coats followed immediately with a solo shot to center, his 20th of the year, to cap the explosive inning and extend the lead to 8-5.

Sefcik, named the top star for Cincinnati, finished 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. His two-run homer in the second inning had initially brought the Bearcats back from an early 5-1 hole.

That early deficit was largely the work of Wright State designated hitter Gus Gregory. After Cincinnati scored one in the first on an Enzo Infelise RBI single, Gregory put the Raiders ahead in the second. Following a Braylen Blomquist single, Gregory connected for his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to deep right.

He was not done. In the third inning, after Blomquist reached on a fielder’s choice, Gregory hammered another two-run homer to nearly the same spot, his second of the game, pushing the Wright State lead to 5-1. Gregory added an RBI double in the ninth to finish 3 for 4 with five RBIs.

Cincinnati began its climb back in the bottom of the second. Ryan Tyranski drove in a run with a bunt single, and Sefcik followed with his first homer of the year, a two-run blast that cut the lead to 5-4.

From there, the Bearcats’ bullpen stifled the Raiders’ offense. After starter Dillon Schueler and Hudson Johnson struggled, Brennan Eager provided 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chad Brown was particularly effective in relief, working three innings and allowing just one run on five hits to secure the win.

Wright State received strong relief work as well, notably from Brody Papay, who struck out three in 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Cooper Robinson, who tossed a scoreless frame. But the Raiders could not contain the heart of Cincinnati’s order in the decisive sixth.

The Bearcats out-hit the Raiders 14 to 12. Cincinnati next travels to face Oklahoma State for a three-game series beginning Friday. Wright State opens a series against Northern Kentucky on Thursday.

The outcome aligned with the pregame projection from Interstat, which gave Cincinnati a 63.7% probability to win and simulated a final score of 7-6.