Overland Park ? The Free State High baseball squad dodged a bullet Friday against Blue Valley Northwest by delivering a bomb in the seventh inning.

Free State’s Jordan Dreiling hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh to secure a 6-5 victory.

The Firebirds (10-1) put up five runs in the first three innings and got a strong performance by starting pitcher Caleb Gress, who went five innings, allowed one run on two hits and struck out seven.

“We played well early on getting up by five runs,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “Then we kind of went into a funk offensively.”

A four-run sixth inning from the Huskies knotted it at 5 and set things up for a Dreiling to come away as a late-game hero.

“Things got away from us in the sixth inning, and Jordan responded to put us up, and we were able to shut them down in the bottom half of the seventh,” Hill said. “The kids got challenged, and I liked the way that they responded to that challenge.”

Free State will play Tuesday at Shawnee Mission East.