MASON, Ohio (Interstat) — Jack Natili drove in three runs and the Cincinnati Bearcats survived a late rally to edge the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks 8-7 in a back-and-forth nonconference baseball game Wednesday evening.

The Bearcats, who had lost three straight entering the contest, improved to 22-13. The Redhawks fell to 20-11.

Cincinnati seized immediate control with a four-run first inning. After Lauden Brooks and Kerrington Cross reached, Natili tripled to left field to drive in both. Derrick Pitts followed with a sacrifice fly to bring Natili home.

Miami answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame off Cincinnati starter Tommy O’Connor. Ryan Novak delivered an RBI single and Matt Buffer followed with a two-run single to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Bearcats extended their lead in the third. Cross doubled and scored on a Jackson Smith single. Smith later scored on a Pitts single, making it 6-3.

The Redhawks chipped away in the fifth. After Tommy Harrigan was hit by a pitch, Novak launched a two-run homer to right field, his third RBI of the game. Later in the inning, Diego Cruz singled home a run to pull Miami within 6-5.

Cincinnati responded in the seventh. Smith was hit by a pitch and scored on Natili’s RBI double. Alec Jones then singled home another run, pushing the Bearcats’ lead to 8-5.

Miami mounted another threat in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. Dominic Krupker doubled down the left-field line, driving in two runs to make it 8-7. But with the tying run in scoring position, Cruz lined out to right field to end the inning.

The most important part of the game came in the late innings as Cincinnati’s bullpen quartet of Dillon Schueler, Adam Brouwer, Christian Mitchelle and Dominic Mauro combined to stifle the Redhawks’ offense. After Mauro entered in the eighth, he retired all four batters he faced, striking out three, to earn the save and seal the narrow victory.

Natili, who had been in a recent slump, broke out by going 3 for 5 with a triple, a double and three RBIs to lead Cincinnati’s 12-hit attack. Pitts added three hits and two RBIs, while Smith had two hits and two RBIs.

For Miami, Novak’s two-hit, three-RBI performance, including the two-run homer, paced an 11-hit effort. Krupker added two hits and an RBI.

Cincinnati used seven pitchers in the game, with Adam Buczkowski, Schueler, Brouwer and Mauro combining for 6 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. Mauro was particularly dominant, striking out the side in the ninth.

Miami reliever Marc Iozzo provided 1 2/3 hitless innings, and Austin Berggren stranded two inherited runners in the eighth.

Cincinnati opens a three-game home series against Baylor on Friday. Miami begins a three-game set against Ohio at home on Friday.