Cincinnati breaks out to big lead against Wake Forest ace Blake Morningstar in 11-6 win in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cincinnati jumped on Wake Forest ace Blake Morningstar for eight runs in the first two innings and went on to beat the Demon Deacons 11-6 in the Knoxville Regional on Friday.

The Bearcats (33-24), in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and second time since 1974, will play defending national champion Tennessee or Miami (Ohio) in a winner’s game Saturday. Wake Forest (36-21) plays the loser in an elimination game.

Cincinnati’s Quinton Coats and Derrick Pitts each hit two-run homers in the second inning and Donovan Ford went deep for two more runs in the fifth to make it 10-4.

Nathan Taylor allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks in six innings, his eighth start this season that has gone that far, and he struck out seven for Cincinnati. Adam Buczkowski and Michael Conte combined to give up one run on three hits over the last three innings.

Morningstar, who entered the game second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 2.71 ERA, was tagged for 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered nine hits and six walks and struck out seven.

Freshman Dalton Wentz homered twice, and Marek Houston and Jack Winnay also went deep for the Demon Deacons, who have multiple homers in 47 of their 57 games.

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