Any momentum Free State’s baseball team had entering this weekend’s River City Baseball Festival disappeared on Thursday night.

The Firebirds were held to just one hit in a 7-0 loss against Omaha Creighton Prep (Nebraska) at Kansas University’s Hoglund Ballpark.

Free State had strong pitching to keep the score close for the majority of the game but couldn’t get the bats going against Creighton Prep junior left-hander Zac Zagozda, who tossed five no-hit innings while striking out eight and walking four.

“I think that since he was so comfortable with his curveball and throwing it in 1-0 counts and controlling it, that really kept us off balance,” Free State senior center fielder Joel Spain said. “We were guessing on fastballs and curveballs.”

Zagozda, who had a mid-80s fastball to go along with strong break on his curveball, never allowed a ball into the outfield during his five innings of work. Spain broke up the no-hitter in the sixth inning against Creighton Prep reliever Dane Hansen with a single to right field.

“We’ve got to understand sometimes trying to work the middle and opposite field is the best recourse,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “I don’t know that’s necessarily our approach, but to be a championship-type team, you have to beat a high-caliber pitcher — multiple high-caliber pitchers. We’ve got a long ways to go before we’re ready to do that.”

The Blue Jays (15-3, ranked No. 2 in Nebraska’s Class A) took advantage of a few mental miscues in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Their leadoff hitter, Lucas Ripa, reached on a walk — one of five allowed by the Firebirds — and junior left fielder Bobby Morgenson had a bunt single, which advanced Ripa to third because no Free State fielder was covering the base.

Ripa scored a few pitches later on a double steal, and Morgenson worked his way around the bases after the Firebirds committed a pair of errors.

Free State junior left-hander Parker Tietjen limited Creighton Prep’s big bats by mixing his fastball and off-speed pitches, but he walked three hitters in the fifth inning, which allowed the Blue Jays to add two more runs to their lead.

“Parker kept them off balance,” Hill said. “We’re (down) 2-0 in the fifth and the two he gives up in the third, the ball never left the infield. Those are the sorts of things you can’t do against good clubs and be successful. Our kids know that.”

Though the Firebirds (8-3, ranked No. 5) trailed only 4-0 in the fifth inning, they were still working on trying to get their first hit, which made their deficit feel larger.

“You kind of knew two runs the way things were going was going to be a little tough,” Hill said. “We had one bad inning from a defensive perspective, gave up two there, and then I thought we did some good things defensively.”

Some of the good things defensively included a few scoops at first base by Marcileno Cortez, a few diving stops at third by Zion Bowlin, and a heads-up double play turned by second baseman Cooper Karlin on a line drive.

The Firebirds are scheduled to play Springfield Kickapoo (Missouri) at 3:45 p.m. today at FSHS.

Creighton 002 020 3 — 7 7 0

Free State 000 000 0 — 0 1 2

W — Zac Zagozda. L — Parker Tietjen, 0-2.

2B — Brandon Bena, CP.