DAYTON, Ohio (Interstat) — Gus Gregory went 5 for 5 with three RBIs and the Wright State Raiders erupted for eight runs in the eighth inning to storm back and defeat the Cincinnati Bearcats 12-7 in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday at Woerner Field.

The Bearcats built an early 7-1 lead, but the Raiders chipped away before delivering the decisive blow in the late innings, turning a two-run deficit into a five-run victory. The win improved Wright State to 18-19, while Cincinnati fell to 27-16.

Cincinnati seized control from the outset. Jackson Smith doubled to lead off the game and later scored on a groundout by Tommy Natili. The Bearcats then extended their lead to 3-0 in the second, capitalizing on a passed ball and a two-run single by Smith.

They added three more in the third, with Lauden Brooks scoring on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, and another in the fifth on an RBI single by Kameron Mitchelle, making it 7-1.

Wright State began its comeback in the fourth inning. After a walk and a single, shortstop Braylen Blomquist launched a three-run homer down the left-field line to cut the deficit to 7-4.

The Raiders then tied the game in the seventh, aided by a Cincinnati error. After Warren reached on the miscue and advanced on a bunt single, Gregory delivered a two-run double to left-center, making it 7-6. He then stole third but was stranded.

The game turned completely in the bottom of the eighth. With one out and a runner on second, Cy Turner hammered a two-run homer to left-center, giving Wright State its first lead at 8-7. The Raiders were far from done. They proceeded to send 13 batters to the plate, piling on six more runs. The rally included an RBI single by Alec Holmstrom, a run-scoring wild pitch, an RBI double by Gregory and a run-scoring double by pinch-hitter Alex Gilkerson. Relievers Michael Bilo and Matthew Johnson combined for 2 2/3 perfect innings of relief to quiet the Cincinnati offense during the comeback.

The most important part of the game was Wright State’s eight-run eighth inning, which transformed a tight contest into a decisive victory. The Raiders batted around, recorded six hits and capitalized on wild pitches to complete their rally from six runs down.

Gregory, who had been in a recent slump, was the catalyst, finishing a triple shy of the cycle with two doubles, a single and a stolen base. His performance keyed the middle of the Wright State order. Blomquist finished with a home run and three RBIs, while Turner’s go-ahead homer ignited the eighth-inning explosion.

For Cincinnati, Smith went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Enzo Infelise added a two-run double in the ninth for the final margin. Starter Dillon Schueler provided three innings of hitless relief, allowing one earned run, but the Bearcats’ bullpen faltered late.

The result avenged a March 31 loss to Cincinnati for the Raiders. The Bearcats had won two of three on the road at UCF over the weekend, while Wright State had dropped three of its last four.

Cincinnati opens a three-game series at home against West Virginia on Friday. Wright State begins a Horizon League series at home against Milwaukee on Friday.