Free State High’s John Sneegas needed two ice bags after Friday night’s baseball game against Grandview, Mo.

It might have been one for each of the fastballs he threw.

“He’s not a flame-thrower,” Free State coach Mike Hill said, “but it shows you that you don’t need to be a guy that throws 90 miles an hour to be successful.”

Though he didn’t light up the radar gun at Hoglund Ballpark, Sneegas didn’t allow Grandview to light up the scoreboard next to it, either, in Free State’s 13-1 run-rule-shortened victory.

Using a steady dose of off-speed pitches, the senior allowed just a run in his complete-game effort, striking out six.

“It confuses hitters – it keeps them off-balance,” Sneegas said. “They don’t really know what’s coming next. I don’t throw the fastball that often.”

He didn’t need to with the Firebirds’ offense getting back on track.

Free State scored in every inning, banging out 10 hits overall and giving Sneegas an early lead with which to work.

Robby Price walked to lead off the Free State first, and Travis Ice followed with a run-scoring double over Brandon Moore, who was playing the 5-foot-8 senior particularly shallow in left.

“I just got some good barrel on it,” Ice said, “and hit it pretty deep.”

Brett Lisher singled down the right-field line to score Ice, and Lorenzo Ricketts contributed an RBI groundout to make it 3-0.

Sneegas made sure the lead would stand. The senior actually came within one pitch of a shutout, with his only mistake coming on a change-up down the heart of the plate to Brandon Pearl.

The Bulldog senior launched the third-inning pitch over the wall in left.

“I knew it was (out). You can tell when that happens,” Sneegas said. “You just have to get back up on the bump and keep pitching after that.”

The lefty did, allowing just one Grandview hit after that point.

The Firebirds put it away with a six-run third. After consecutive pop-ups, Free State’s next eight batters reached safely. Andy Petz, Scott Heitshusen and Ice each added a run-scoring hit.

Price did a little bit of everything for Free State, going 2-for-3 with a triple, double, stolen base and three runs scored.

Ice and Petz each added a pair of hits, while Jordan Dreiling contributed a triple and two runs scored.

The blowout came just 15 hours after the Firebirds experienced a 5-4 setback to Shawnee Mission North in the same River City Baseball Classic.

“I think we were all disappointed with how we performed (Thursday),” Hill said, “from the coaches all the way down to the bat boy.”

Free State will face perhaps its toughest challenge of the weekend at 11:30 a.m. today against Warrensburg (Mo.) at Hoglund Ballpark.

“All I know about them is that they’re 13-0, and we’re going to have to play one of our best games to beat them,” Ice said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Free State 13, Grandview, Mo., 1

Grandview, Mo. 001 00 – 1 3 6

Free State 326 2x – 13 10 1

W – John Sneegas. L – Matt Brucks.

2B – Robby Price (FS), Travis Ice (FS), Andy Petz (FS). 3B – Price, Jordan Dreiling (FS). HR – Brandon Pearl (G).

Free State highlights – Ice 2-for-3, double, three RBIs, two runs; Price 2-for-3, triple, double, stolen base, three runs; Andy Petz 2-for-3, double, two runs; Jordan Dreiling 1-for-2, triple, two runs; Sneegas CG, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 6K.