KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Free State High baseball coach Mike Hill has made no secret of the fact he’s looking for a few good arms to help the Firebirds this season.

Saturday, he found the perfect opportunity to get a quintet of untested hurlers some work.

Facing an overmatched Kansas City Washington ballclub, Free State pounded out more than enough offense to allow the young arms a chance to show their wares in a pressure-free environment, cruising to a 19-1 victory in a game shortened to five innings at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Kyle Cross, Cody Lown, John Sneegas, Nick Ayre and Robby Price each threw a frame for the Firebirds (2-0), combining to allow just one unearned run and four hits. They also chalked up eight strikeouts.

“It was very much our intention to get at least those five on the mound in one capacity or another,” Hill said.

Free State infielder Robby Price leaps over a K.C. Washington High runner. FSHS won, 19-1, Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

His offense made sure he didn’t have to be too creative to make it happen. Free State opened with a three-run first inning and scored in every frame, closing out the scoring with a nine-run fifth.

Half of the Firebirds’ 10 hits went for extra bases, led by Price, who rebounded from a hitless opener a day earlier against Blue Valley Northwest by going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, coming up just a home run short of hitting for the cycle.

Free State's Lorenzo Ricketts, right, slides under the tag of a K.C. Washington infielder. FSHS won, 19-1, Saturday at Community-America Ballpark.

He had two chances to accomplish the feat when the Firebirds batted around in the fifth. However, he was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat and walked on four straight pitches during his next appearance.

“I’ll take ’em. But it would have been nice to get a strike,” Price said.

“After (Friday), I was 0-for-4, so it was just good to get a couple of hits on the board. It was good to come back and play the next day and get a feel for what you’re doing.”

Travis Ice was 2-for-4 with four RBIs for Free State. Sneegas, the Firebirds’ third hurler, was credited with the victory after striking out the side in his inning.