Free State junior Kyle Abrahamson slides into home plate for a run in the first inning against Nixa (Mo.) on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark.

For the first two days of the River City Baseball Festival, the middle of Free State’s batting order wasn’t clicking.

That wasn’t the case Saturday against Nixa (Mo.).

In the heart of Free State’s order, Zion Bowlin, Jake Baker and Nate Strathman combined for eight hits, four runs and five RBIs in a 7-2 victory at the University of Kansas’ Hoglund Ballpark.

The trio combined for three straight hits in a three-run third inning, which included RBI singles from the senior Strathman and sophomore Baker.

“We put him in there because we know, in time, he’s going to be really special,” Free State coach Mike Hill said of 6-foot-3 Baker, the youngest player in the FSHS lineup.

Bowlin smashed an opposite-field triple to right field in the fourth inning, which bounced past Nixa’s right fielder, before scoring on a RBI single from the clean-up hitter Baker.

In the sixth inning, Bowlin turned on an inside pitch for a leadoff single to left field. He was eventually plated on a single from senior Jaden Moore.

“Zion is one of the best pure hitters I’ve had to the pleasure of coaching — he showed why today,” Hill said.

It was more than enough run support for Free State senior right-hander Aaron Funk. The Arkansas-Little Rock commit struck out seven in six innings pitched. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks.

Working with a fastball that was clocked in the upper-80s, Funk overpowered hitters. No balls left the infield between the second and fifth innings.

Plus, Free State’s defense avoided any errors. Junior Jake Rittman made a highlight-reel stop and throw in the seventh inning from shortstop.

“As we’ve been preaching to (Funk), it’s about getting outs with contact,” Hill said. “I think his last two outings, he has taken strides in that regard. That keeps his pitch count down. Early in the season, we were 90-plus after four. His last two outings have been entirely different.”

Free State (9-3) picked up most of its run support in the early innings. Strathman hit a two-run, two-out single in the first inning, scoring Jacob Pavlyak and Kyle Abrahamson (2-for-4, 2 runs).

In the first two games of the River City Festival, the Firebirds needed to rely on the bottom of their order. They still stranded 10 runners on base Saturday, but it was an improvement in their approaches at the plate.

“I think the slower pitchers just got to us, thinking that they are so slow,” Strathman said. “He was a little faster so we got our heads in it.”

In a rematch of last season’s Class 6A state championship game, Free State will play Shawnee Mission East at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at FSHS.

The Lancers (11-2) are ranked No. 1 in the latest coaches poll, while the Firebirds are ranked No. 2.

“They’ve got a lot of kids back from their team and we do off ours,” Hill said. “I’m sure both sides are will look at it a little differently because of that. But from my perspective, it’s another opportunity to get better for the end of the year.”

Nixa 100 001 0– 2 5 3

Free State 203 101 x — 7 12 0

W — Aaron Funk, 4-2. L — Kyle Ramey.

2B — Conner Matthews, Nixa. Kyle Abrahamson, FS. 3B — Zion Bowlin, FS.

FSHS highlights — Funk, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K; Abrahamson, 2-for-4, 2 runs; Bowlin, 3-for-4, 3 runs; Jake Baker, 3-for-4, 2 RBI; Nate Strathman, 2-for-4, 3 RBI; Jaden Moore, 1-for-3, RBI.