Brian Ash was "beyond frustrated" following an ugly baseball loss Monday to Hickman.
Luckily for the Jefferson City skipper, it didn't take the Jays long to get back on the right track.
Jefferson City had 14 hits and Adam Grunden threw a complete-game shutout as the Jays rolled to an 11-0 victory against Rolla in six innings Wednesday at Vivion Field.
"Our big focus after that Hickman game was, you've got to care a little bit more about your teammates than you do about your own self," Ash said. "Until everybody figures that out, we're going to kind of stay in that stagnant state."
Jefferson City (12-5) responded to the message and the Jays didn't wait long to prove it.
"You can't get down after a loss like that," said Jackson Walker, who was 3-for-4 with four RBI. "It's good that we came out here and hit the ball around the yard a little bit."
Jefferson City, which allowed 11 unearned runs in Monday's game, played perfect behind Grunden, who surrendered five hits and struck out five in six innings.
The Jays' offense did their part, too.
Jake Walker hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the first and Brenden Ogletree ended the game early with a three-run shot to left-center with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
"We were able to get some guys on base and hit some line drives into some gaps; hit a couple of doubles and a couple of long balls," Ash said. "To lead the game off with a home run, that doesn't hurt. It kind of set the tone right there."
Jake Walker sent a 2-0 pitch over the fence in left field, Hayden Strobel followed with a triple and Jackson Walker drove him in to give Jefferson City a 2-0 lead in the first.
It was more than enough run support for Grunden.
"I hadn't pitched in about 10 days, so I felt really good," Grunden said. "I was just trying to locate and pitch to contact against them."
Rolla stranded six baserunners in the first four innings, but Grunden was in complete control after that. The right-hander needed 10 pitches to get out of the fifth and seven - all strikes - to complete the sixth.
By that time, the Jays already had a comfortable 7-0 cushion.
Jake Walker's RBI single scored Alex Johnson from second in the bottom of the second and Jackson Walker drove in a pair of runs in the fourth to give Jefferson City a 5-0 lead.
"Jackson has been hitting the ball well the last four games," Ash said. "Early in the year, everything (he hit) was to the left side of second base. I'm not sure in the last four games if he's even hit a ball to the left side of second base. Everything is right, right, right, and that's where his power is.
"He's done a tremendous job. He's been on fire lately."
Grunden and Johnson had back-to-back hits with one out in the fifth, setting up an RBI single by Jake Pridgin, the Jays' No. 9 batter. Jake Walker capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly ball to extend Jefferson City's lead to seven.
The Jays didn't stop there.
Gabe Marcantonio and Strobel both singled to lead off the sixth, and Jackson Walker followed with an RBI single to put the Jays up by eight.
Ogletree needed one solid swing to enforce the 10-after-5 run rule.
"(Assistant coach Kyle Lasley) had actually told me that I needed to step it up and end it right there," Ogletree said. "I guess that's what I did."
Jake Walker was 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Grunden, Johnson and Strobel were 2-for-3 to help lead Jefferson City at the plate.
The Jays will try to build off their win when they face Stockton at 4 p.m. Friday at Camdenton in the first round of the Camdenon-Lebanon Tournament.
"We're starting to swing it pretty good," Ogletree said.