But the Mustangs overcame two first-inning errors and a 3-0 hole after two and a half innings and rolled to a 9-4 win over the Cavaliers in their second game of the Four Oaks Bank Tri-Eight Challenge at Apex High on Saturday.

“We’ve really worked hard defensively the last 10 days, and I think after that first inning, our hard work started paying off,” said Middle Creek coach Jeremy Thompson. “I’ve been preaching to these guys, if we play defense, and that’ll go along with our pitching and our hitting, we can be a real good team.”

Middle Creek’s bats came alive in the third and fourth innings, where the Mustangs (8-5) sent a combined 17 batters to the plate, had nine hits and scored eight runs.

In the third, catcher Ben Brown (2-for-4, three RBIs, two runs) led off with a single. After moving to second on a passed ball, Brown came in on Jimmy Boyd’s single.

After Al Reams’ single, Chase Martin (2-for-4, two RBIs, one run) smacked a run-scoring single to drive in Reams and cut the Southern Lee advantage to 3-2.

After starting pitcher Kyle Boyette allowed a one-out single in the top of the fourth, Thompson went to his bullpen and called on the left-handed side-armer Nick Shavone. On his first pitch Shavone induced an inning ending 1-6-3 double play, and the Mustangs carried the momentum of the play to the plate.

After Matt Laxton led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and Dylan Drayton singled, Brown mashed a three-run home run over the left-field fence to give the Mustangs their first lead of the day, 5-3.

“He gave me a fastball right there, just a little bit up,” said Brown, who muscled the pitch through a stiff wind that was blowing in from center field. “I’ve been working on my hitting the last couple weeks. I’ve been in a bit of a slump, and I just handled it.”

But the rally didn’t end there. A Southern Lee error prolonged the inning and allowed the Mustangs to tack on three more runs. Martin hit another RBI single, and Laxton hit a two-run single to push the lead to 8-3.

“Anytime you turn a double play when you’re kind of down, it’s a real momentum boost. And then the home run, that just got us rolling,” Martin said.

Southern had several run-scoring opportunities throughout the game, but the Cavaliers came up short more often than not.

In the second, the Cavaliers had runners on second and third with two outs, but Middle Creek’s Boyette got himself out of a jam by striking out Chad Taylor to end the inning unharmed.

In the top of the fifth, the Cavaliers loaded the bases with two outs, and Thompson again went to his bullpen. This time he called on Reams, who had played second base up to that point, and Reams struck out Zack McNeil to end the threat.

All told, Southern Lee stranded eight runners on base, six in scoring position.

With Saturday’s win in the Tri-Eight Challenge, the Mustangs enter this week with some momentum, which they hope to use to make a push toward the postseason as they enter the heart of conference play.

“The thing I’m most excited about is if our defense plays like it did the last three games, we’ve got a chance to win some games,” Thompson said. “That’s what it’s all about. If you win seven in conference, you make the playoffs. That’s our first goal. Hopefully, now we just keep on winning.”

Middle Creek’s final game of the Four Oaks Bank Challenge will be played today against Holly Springs. That match-up will make-up Friday’s game that was rained out.

The Mustangs dropped their first game of the tournament, falling to Western Harnett 5-2 on Thursday.