NEEFS — Mark Cisar likes what he sees with his baseball team.

John Marshall had its hitting shoes on Monday afternoon, blasting Bellaire, 14-2, in five innings at John Blacker Field. The Monarchs rapped out 16 hits.

“We are playing really well now. We have been hitting exceptionally, which we did again today,” Cisar said. “I don’t care what our record is right now. We are definitely getting better.”

John Marshall improved to 11-11-1. That tie will be erased this afternoon, weather permitting. The Monarchs are slated to finish a seventh-inning deadlock at St. Clairsville today. The two teams will then play a regulation game.

“We have played against some quality competition. Our biggest problem is that we have blown too many late-inning leads,” added the former Magnolia High athletic great. “I am pleased with my guys right now. We are getting better and better when it counts the most.”

John Marshall set the tone in the first inning, plating five runs. Grant Neiswonger delivered a two-run single, Chase Kerns slammed an RBI double while Braden Sobutka had an RBI single. The fifth run came home on a Big Reds’ error.

The Monarchs wasted no time in stretching their advantage, pushing across four more runs in the second frame. Brennan Sobutka knocked in two teammates on a single. Kerns and Conner Blatt each had RBI singles.

John Marshall made it 11-0 in the third. Noah Beckett singled and was chased home on a Jacob Coffield triple. Starting pitcher Ethan Neely plated Coffield via a sac fly.

Bellaire got on the scoreboard with two runs in the third. Chicky Lamotte opened the frame with a double. Standout Chance Maffe doubled him home before scoring on a Monarch miscue.

John Marshall truncated the contest with three tallies in the fifth. Beckett walked and scored on a Coffield double. Neely followed with another two-base hit, bringing in Coffield. Jake Korngiver lined an RBI single to cap the scoring.

Neely went the route on the hill for John Marshall to earn the mound win in a sharp outing. He allowed just four hits while striking out five and issuing only one walk.

“Ethan pitched very effectively today. He did so on short notice,” Cisar said. “It is the only second time he has pitched this year. He did well.”

Coffield led the John Marshall hitting attack with a triple, double, single and two RBI. Kerns also came up big with a double, two singles and two RBI. All told, 11 Monarchs recorded hits on the day.

Big Reds’ southpaw Lex Wilhelm took the mound loss. He worked into the fifth, fanning five and walking three. Freshman Grant Vasey finished up, striking our one and issuing no free passes.

Maffe led the Bellaire batsmen with a double and single.

“We had some misplays and some miscommunications early which enabled them to get off to a big first inning. Even with that, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference,” Bellaire High head coach Josh Kernik noted. “They really hit the ball well and are they are a very good team.

“Obviously, it wasn’t one of our better performances,” he added. “Hopefully, you learn something from this, move on and get better.”

Bellaire is now 5-10.