photo by: John Young

Free State High's Kate Stanwix, left, and Hailey Jump walk back to the dugout after Jump scored a run during the Firebirds' game against Olathe Northwest Thursday at FSHS.

Ask Free State High softball players if they are surprised they’ve produced one of the top offenses in the state, and the response is a few laughs.

This is exactly what the Firebirds expected to see. A potent lineup, filled with a few sluggers, that averages 8.4 runs per game with a team batting average of .358.

The difference this season is the way they’ve scored. Instead of playing small ball and using their speed to their advantage, this group prefers just to put dents into the fence or send the ball over the wall. Senior first baseman Kate Stanwix likes the advice from her dad, “If you hit it over the fence, you don’t have to be fast.”

Free State will take its strong lineup into the City Showdown, facing Lawrence High (9-9) at 5 p.m. today at LHS. The Lions have won four of their past five games.

photo by: John Young

Free State's Dacia Starr (51) catches the ball in the Firebirds' regional opener against Topeka on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at CBAC.

“Hitting good is contagious,” FSHS senior third baseman Emily Byers said. “We just keep going. Once we start hitting, we can’t really be stopped.”

The driving force behind Free State’s offense is the middle of the order: junior outfielder Dacia Starr, Stanwix and Byers.

Starr, who lives up to her last name, ranks among the Sunflower League leaders with a .548 batting average, 26 RBIs and a school-record seven home runs. She hit six of those homers in the team’s first eight games and has only struck out three times in 62 at-bats.

“It’s confidence and presence in the box this year,” Starr said. “Last year, it was my first year on varsity, and it was kind of a struggle for me to adjust to different pitchers.”

Stanwix is hitting .413 with three home runs and 15 RBIs, and Byers follows with a .339 batting average, five doubles and 14 RBIs.

“We’re all hitting together, and we’re all pretty close,” Stanwix said. “Emily and I have inside jokes, and I like hitting behind Dacia because she’s so funny when she’s up to bat. She just calms me down before I even step in the box.”

Of course, the lineup doesn’t start or end with the middle of the order. Seniors Hailey Jump and Madison Norris, the first two batters in the lineup, have scored a combined 37 runs this season. Right behind the middle of the order is senior Cali Byrn, who is second on the team with 18 RBIs.

“I think we’ve finally all figured it out,” Stanwix said. “I know I have gained my confidence a lot this season, so it helps.”

The Firebirds (9-9) have scored eight or more runs 11 of their 18 games this season. Their biggest problem is overcoming defensive mistakes and preventing big innings. They average three errors per game.

In the team’s nine losses, the Firebirds have allowed opponents to score 11.2 runs per game.

“There’s a lot of people who are afraid to play us right now because they know what we are capable of offensively,” Free State coach Lee Ice said. “I truly believe we can play with anybody in the state when we swing the bat. But also, like against Olathe East, the old thing is good pitching is going to beat good hitting. When that happens, you’ve got to play defense and find other ways to win.”

But when the Firebirds are hitting at their best, it can hide some of their mistakes. They made three errors in the first inning against Class 6A defending state champion Olathe South, but fought back with a game-tying grand slam by Byrn. The Firebirds won in 11 innings.

With the ability to turn fastballs into long balls and flip the score with one swing of the bat, the Firebirds know they can compete with top teams.

“After beating Olathe South, it really took us on another level,” Stanwix said. “Now we’re feeling like we can actually do this and actually get to state this year.”