NEW WASHINGTON — Despite the fact that their record is still under .500, Carey Blue Devils’ coach Joey Roark said that his team is getting better.

“We’re showing more energy,” Roark said. “We’re cutting down on the mistakes; we made a lot of mistakes early in the year, a lot of errors. We weren’t putting the bat on the ball in certain situations.”

Carey pitcher Reece Mullholand worked into the fifth and the Blue Devils banged out 12 hits in beating Buckeye Central, 9-2, Wednesday night.

With the win, the Blue Devils improved to 3-6 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and 5-9 overall. A young BC squad fell to 2-9 in the conference, 6-13 overall.

Junior Matthew Summers started on the hill for Buckeye Central and permitted a run in the third before an error opened the door for Carey in the fifth.

The Blue Devils scored five times in the frame, and McKain Miller and Mullholand each had two RBI in the inning.

The Bucks got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Brady Biglin tripled down the right field line and scored on a passed ball.

Carey added three more in the sixth on RBI singles by Ian Yeater and Tanner Stoll.

Buckeye got a run in the seventh on hits from Brandon Mann and Biglin.

“We have to be a little more disciplined at the plate,” Buckeye Central coach Chad Jensen said. “We swung at too many pitches that weren’t strikes. We have to do a better job at that.

“We want to do well. The bottom line is Carey made more plays than we did. They didn’t hit the ball hard, but they put the bat on the ball. They hit it where we weren’t. We’ll get better, we just have to continue to improve.”

Summers worked into the sixth, permitting eight hits.

“He threw well,” Jensen said. “He’s not overpowering but he threw strikes. He got behind a little bit and that caused them to be in hitters’ counts. But overall he was consistent.”

Mullholand threw 49 pitches, something Roark said was the plan. He can pitch again in Friday against the Bucks.

“Reece did another good job on the mound tonight,” Roark said. “He hit a couple of batters and his control was pretty good. He was around the plate most of the night.

“We put the bat on the ball, and we made plays. It was a good team win.”