photo by: Richard Gwin

Free State High senior pitcher Elizabeth Patton (40) delivers to Leavenworth on Tuesday at Free State.

When Free State High’s softball team hit the field for Tuesday’s Sunflower League clash with Leavenworth, the Firebirds had one goal in mind.

“We just knew we had to attack, swing the bat hard and score some runs,” junior left fielder Dacia Starr said.

And that’s exactly what the Firebirds did, plating four runs in the first after batting around during an 11-1, six-inning victory over the Pioneers.

Senior left fielder Hailey Jump set the tone by setting the table for her teammates to jump all over the overmatched visitors. After walking on five pitches to open the game, Jump watched the next three Firebird batters reach base behind her and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Starr.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Free State senior Kate Stanwix scores in the first inning against Leavenworth on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at FSHS.

Senior third baseman Emily Byers followed with an RBI groundout, and junior shortstop Mayah Daniels ripped a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring second baseman Madison Norris and first baseman Kate Stanwix.

“Coach Ice always wants the leadoff hitter to get on,” said Jump, who finished with two runs and a double. “He thinks that once we get on, the rest just rolls through.”

That mentality carried over to the Free State defense in this one, as the Firebirds played a flawless defensive game into the fifth inning, with starting pitcher Elizabeth Patton not allowing a base-runner during her four innings of work.

Erica Arensberg and a handful of FSHS reserves took over in the fifth and sixth, and even though the second unit showed some cracks, the Pioneers never seriously threatened to make it a game.

Jump said she and her teammates enjoyed handing the game over to their teammates for the final two innings.

“It’s just really exciting to watch them go out there and execute the way we do,” Jump said.

Free State coach Lee Ice, who said offense and scoring runs had not been a problem for his club so far this season, added that he would have liked to see the back-ups finish things out a little more cleanly.

Free State committed three errors during the final two innings.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Free State High's Madison Norris tracks a pop fly by Leavenworth on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at FSHS.

“Those are the things that we’ve gotta tighten up to beat the really good teams,” Ice said. “But it was good to get those girls some playing time today. They’re our future, and they need to get game experience at this level.”

In the final inning, Emma Stanwix stabbed a hot line drive out of mid-air, quickly threw behind a runner to get the second out and watched her teammates miss completing a rare triple play by a half step.

“It’s a great group of girls and as good of a chemistry team as I’ve ever had,” he said.

The Firebirds (5-4) will play seven games in a six-day span starting Friday.

Leavenworth 000 010 x — 1 1 2

Free State 406 001 x — 11 9 3

W — Elizabeth Patton. L — McKenzie Brown

2B — Emily Byers, Hailey Jump, FS. 3B — Dacia Starr, FS.

Free State highlights: Elizabeth Patton 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K; Hailey Jump 1-for-2, 2 R; Madison Norris 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI; Dacia Starr 2-for-2, R, 2 RBIs; Emily Byers 1-for-2, R, RBI; Mayah Daniels 1-for-3, 2 RBIs; 1-for-2, run, RBI.