FSHS baseball sweeps opener

Free State junior pitcher Trevor Munsch releases the ball as he delivers a pitch to a Warrensburg batter during the first game of their season opening doubleheader Friday afternoon at FSHS.

Free State High opened its baseball season with two victories on Friday afternoon and some boosted confidence in its pitchers.

The Firebirds swept their doubleheader against Warrensburg (Missouri), 2-0 and 9-3 at FSHS.

Free State junior Trevor Munsch, who started on the mound in the first game, was nearly untouchable and set the tone. He allowed just one hit in 52?3 innings while walking none and striking out six.

“I’ve been working a lot this offseason,” said the left-handed Munsch, who painted the corners of the plate with his two-seam fastball. “Last season didn’t go as planned. But this year, I got off to a good start. I was pounding the zone. It went good.”

Once Munsch exited after giving up his first hit in the top of the fifth inning, Free State senior closer Casey Hearnen struck out four of the five batters he faced.

In the second game, junior Hunter Gudde struck out five in five innings, while allowing zero earned runs. Junior Parker Tietjen also tossed two scoreless innings.

“I thought we pitched well,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “Fourteen innings and no walks. I think we hit two guys, one in each game, but that’s terrific at any level of baseball when you can do that.”

The Firebirds (2-0) only had four hits in the first game, but they made them count. In the first inning, Hearnen hit an RBI single to left in the first inning, scoring senior second baseman Cooper Karlin, who also singled to left.

In the second game, the Firebirds used a seven-run second inning to pull away. After sophomore Jacob Pavlyak was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Karlin drew a bases-loaded walk. A few wild pitches scored runs, Hearnen hit a two-run single, and senior catcher Jon Saathoff hit an RBI double.

“They were aggressive at the plate today,” Hill said. “We didn’t see a lot of pitches, and that was all right. We hit a lot of balls hard right at people, and credit to them for making some good defensive plays. We’re a work in progress offensively, but I thought we took a step in the right direction today.”

In the sixth inning, senior first baseman Marcileno Cortez hit a sacrifice fly to score Karlin, and Saathoff scored senior centerfielder Joel Spain with an RBI single.

“They had been throwing first-pitch fastballs, and I just jumped on it,” said Saathoff, who went 4-for-4 in the second game with two RBIs. The Firebirds are still adjusting to hitting without some of the power hitters they had dominate the middle of the order for the past few years and didn’t show much aggression at the plate at scrimmages last week. But they couldn’t be happier with how well their pitchers threw Friday.

“We have some guys who frankly need time to develop,” Hill said of his pitchers. “Whether they’re going to be ready at the end of May or in some cases, a year from now, we don’t know. But they just need time. Trevor is one of those guys, and he was really good today. He’s got a chance to be a special player in time.”

The Firebirds will go on the road to face Ozark (Missouri) at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Free State 2-9, Warrensburg 0-3

Game 1

Warrensburg 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

Free State 100 010 x — 2 4 1

W — Trevor Munsch (1-0). L — Cody Roop. SV — Casey Hearnen (1).

Free State highlights — Munsch, 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K; Hearnen, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 4 K, 1-for-3, RBI.

Game 2

Warrensburg 000 030 0 — 3 4 2

Free State 070 002 x –9 9 1

W — Hunter Gudde (1-0). L — Mason Janvrin.

2B — Cooper Karlin, Jon Saathoff, Free State; Jacob Carter, Warrensburg.

Free State highlights — Gudde, 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 5 K; Parker Tietjen, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R; Saathoff, 4-for-4, run, 2 RBIs; Karlin, 1-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 runs.