The Mustangs smacked 14 hits and defeated GMG, 19-2, in five innings at the GMG Baseball Field on Tuesday.

“We just want to try and build momentum,” East Marshall head coach Justin Frost said. “This is around the time last year where we started to get hot a little bit, so we just want to build any momentum we can get and carry that over from game to game.”

Blake Neuroth was 4-for-4 with a double and was one of four Mustangs with three runs batted in, along with Jacob Farrington, Connor Kriegel and Carter Lavender.

“We were sitting back and trusting the hands,” Neuroth said. “You just have to adjust to the pitching, sit back. … We did a really good job mentally as a team at the plate.”

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - East Marshall senior pitcher Carter Lavender flips to first base to retire Caleb Ferch of GMG (not pictured) as the final out of the second inning during Tuesday’s baseball game in Green Mountain. Lavender struck out 10 in five innings for the win.

The teams were tied at 1-1 after the first inning, but Neuroth’s first RBI of the night in the top of the second inning put East Marshall ahead for good.

In the fourth inning, the Mustangs blew the doors off with seven runs on five hits and four walks. East Marshall also tacked on eight runs in the fifth.

The visitors were coming off a Monday split with Grundy Center in NICL West play, taking two out of three in the series from the Spartans and ending a six-game winless streak in the process.

“That was big for us, added to our momentum a little bit,” Neuroth said. “That’s just what we needed as a team, a little confidence, and we’re running and gunning now.”

Carter Lavender didn’t need that much run support on the mound for the Mustangs, striking out 10 with three hits and one earned run allowed as well as four walks.

“Our pitchers overall are starting to throw strikes a little more,” Frost said. “And that’s a big deal, we always preach pitch count, and we’ve got six games this week, so we need guys to eat some innings. Lavender did it tonight like [Joryn] Shively did last night against Grundy Center.”

Colin Teske was 2-for-3 for the Wolverines at the dish with a run scored in the first inning on a Rider Kupka RBI hit. Teske also brought home Easton Sash in the fifth with a single to left.

The Wolverines dropped to 3-11 overall and will try to get off a nine-game skid on Wednesday at Clarksville.

East Marshall improved to 6-10 and continues their six-game road trip this week at Hudson on Wednesday.

“We just gotta keep this confidence going,” Neuroth said. “Keep hitting the ball, pitching the ball well, and that will lead us to wins.”