The defending Class 6A state baseball champions scrapped their way to a shot at a repeat.

Free State High, the No. 4 seed at the state tournament this season, knocked off top-seeded Blue Valley, 2-0, Saturday morning at Hoglund Ballpark.

In typical Firebirds fashion, they had no problem capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes in the semifinal, as senior left-handed pitcher Tervor Munsch and the defense finished the job.

In fact, FSHS only mustered two hits against Tigers starter Jared Demmel, who threw six and 1/3 innings in the loss.

Free State junior Jacob Pavlyak led off the game with an infield single, but the Firebirds (20-4) didn’t register another hit until the top of the sixth, when a soft chopper off junior Zion Bowlin’s bat refused to roll foul down the third-base line.

Believe it or not, neither hit led to a Free State run.

The Firebirds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, when Bowlin led off and reached on an error. A sacrifice bunt from cleanup hitter Kyle Abrahamson, a sophomore, and assertive base running by Bowlin did the rest. Senior Hunter Gudde grounded out to third base, but as the throw to first retired Gudde, Bowlin took off for third. The Tigers (21-3) couldn’t corral the ensuing sling, back across the diamond, and Bowlin scored.

Free State padded its lead in the top of the seventh, after senior designated hitter Parker Tietjen drew a one-out walk that ended Demmel’s day. From there, pinch runner Zack Sanders came in and stole second. One batter later, Sanders got the go-ahead sign to try and steal third, too, and an error on that attempt allowed him to score with ease.

The semifinal certainly didn’t lack drama. Munsch struck out five and only surrendered two hits in five innings of work before Gudde, the winning pitcher for FSHS in the first round against Derby, stepped on the mound in the bottom of the sixth.

Gudde gave up hits to the first two batters he faced, then elected to try and get the lead runner, BVHS senior Tanner Fox, with a force at third base when senior Gunner Halter bunted. The fielder’s choice loaded the bases with no outs for the Tigers, who trailed by just one run at the time.

Free State’s error-free defense gets credit for ending a dangerous Blue Valley rally. Junior Daniel Hegarty smacked a ground ball at Firebirds first baseman Nathan Strathman, who fielded it cleanly and gunned a throw home for a force out.

Next, the defending champs escaped the inning as BVHS senior Kobe Gelles connected on a grounder to senior FSHS second baseman Mikey Corbett. Corbett made a head’s up play to tag Hegarty, pivot and gun a throw to first for the inning-ending double play.

Free State 2, Blue Valley 0

Free State 000 100 1 — 2 2 0

Blue Valley 000 000 0 — 0 5 3

W — Trevor Munsch, 4-3. L — Jared Demmel. SV — Hunter Gudde, 5.

FSHS highlights — Trevor Munsch, 5 IP, 2 Hs, 5 Ks, 0 Rs; Hunter Gudde, 2 IP, 2 Hs, K, 0 Rs; Jacob Pavlyak, 1-for-2, BB; Zion Bowlin, 1-for-3, R; Zack Sanders, 2 steals, R.