photo by: Richard Gwin

FSHS junior Mikey Corbett (10) picks up a grounder against Haysville Campus during the Class 6A state baseball tournament Thursday at Hoglund Ballpark.

Free State High’s baseball program captured its second Class 6A state championship, and its first since 2006, with a 4-1 victory over Shawnee Mission Northwest Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark.

Starting pitcher Hunter Gudde and reliever Casey Hearnen took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as Free State’s pitching, which carried it all season, again came through for the Firebirds, who finished their banner year 21-4.

The Cougars (19-6) neither scored, nor registered a hit until the top of the sixth, long after FSHS plated three in the bottom of the second to take control. Free State’s No. 9 hitter, Marcelino Cortez, blooped a two-out, two-run single in the second for one of the biggest hits of the season.

— Look for much more on the Firebirds’ title in Saturday’s Lawrence Journal-World, and online at LJWorld.com.

TOP 7 — FSHS 4, SMNW 1

Paul Bachelor got hit by a Casey Hearnen pitch to lead off.

Pinch-hitter Clayton Hale flied out down the left-field line.

Joe Todd drew a walk to give SMNW two runners with one down.

Dylan Nedved hit into the game-ending, 1-6-3 double play back to Hearnen, sealing Free State’s championship and an incredible season.

BOTTOM 6 — FSHS 4, SMNW 1

— SMNW brought in its second reliever, Matt Drummond in the middle of the sixth —

Jacob Pavlyak led off the frame with a base on balls.

Casey Hearnen followed it up with another walk, giving the Firebirds two base runners.

— Following two straight walks, SMNW removed Drummond and replaced him with Brennon Covington. —

Mikey Corbett popped a bunt high down the first-base line and Covington and Ferencz both dove for it as it fell in safely. But SMNW was able to get an out at second base on the play.

Marcelino Cortez came up with runners on the corners and one out, and the No. 9 FSHS batter grounded the ball to first base, reaching on a fielder’s choice as Pavlyak scored, moving the lead to 4-1. An error on the throw to second left Corbett safe, too.

A wild pitch gave Free State two runners in scoring position.

Zion Bowlin struck out swinging for the second out.

The sixth ended with Cooper Karlin grounding out to second base.

TOP 6 — FSHS 3, SMNW 1

Dylan Nedved drew a walk to give the Cougars something to feel good about.

Next, Javier Pena delivered the first hit of the game for SMNW with a single to left field.

With a potential no-hitter squashed, Cougars leadoff hitter Nate Reeder came up with two runners on and no outs, and smacked a single to right field to load the bases.

Casey Kelley stepped into the batter’s box as the potential go-ahead run with the bases loaded and no outs. The No. 2 hitter for SMNW struck out on a low, outside pitch from Casey Hearnen.

Garrett Stephens hit a ground ball to 2B Cooper Karlin, who went to second for the easy force out as SMNW got on the board and cut the FSHS lead to 3-1.

With runners on the corners and two away, cleanup hitter Brett Ferencz hit a soft chopper back to Hearnen, ending the Cougars’ threat.

BOTTOM 5 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

Cooper Karlin flied out to start the inning.

Joel Spain slapped a single up the middle with one out.

Spain got caught attempting to steal second base with Jon Saathoff at the plate, and the FSHS cleanup hitter doubled to the left-field gap to extend the inning.

With Saathoff on second, Hunter Gudde struck out looking to end the fifth.

TOP 5 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

Paul Bachelor popped the ball up softly to P Casey Hearnen on the first pitch of the inning.

Dylan Dirks tried to bunt his way on base, but Hearnen pounced on it and tossed it to first for the second out.

Joe Todd grounded out to SS Mikey Corbett, leaving SMNW hitless through five innings.

BOTTOM 4 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

Casey Hearnen singled to right field in his first plate appearance.

Mikey Corbett pulled off a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line, advancing courtesy runner Matt Pendry to second.

Marcelino Cortez popped out to right field for out No. 2.

With two outs and Pendry on second base, Zion Bowlin extended for a ground ball down the third-base line but couldn’t beat the throw of Dylan Nedved.

TOP 4 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

Casey Kelley smacked a ball the way of 3B Zion Bowlin, who kept his body in front of it and made the play.

Garrett Stephens grounded out to second base for out No. 2.

Brett Ferencz grounded out to SS Mikey Corbett, finishing off a one-two-three frame.

BOTTOM 3 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

— SMNW brought in RHP reliever Casey Kelley in the middle of the third. —

Cooper Karlin, the first Firebird to face new hurler Kelley, popped up, foul, to third base.

Joel Spain turned on a pitch but flied out to left field.

Cleanup hitter Jon Saathoff reached with a two-out walk.

Hunter Gudde made it back-to-back bases on balls for Free State.

Jacob Pavlyak, with two down and runners on first and second, chopped a slow ground ball to third, but Dylan Nedved played it perfectly and 1B Brett Ferencz stretched out to snag the throw and end the inning.

TOP 3 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

— After two no-hit innings from Gudde, FSHS turned to reliever Casey Hearnen. —

New pitcher Casey Hearnen fanned the first batter he faced, Dylan Nedved.

Javier Pena grounded out to Hearnen for out No. 2.

Cougars leadoff hitter Nate Reeder tried to find a hole between 2B and 1B but FSHS 2B Cooper Karlin denied him, sliding across the turf to make the play on the groundout.

BOTTOM 2 — FSHS 3, SMNW 0

Jon Saathoff hit the ball to right field, and had to beat a throw form Nate Reeder to get a single.

Hunter Gudde, with courtesy runner on Daniel Bryant on first base, smacked an opposite-field triple to the right-field gap, giving FSHS a 1-0 lead in the 6A title game.

With Gudde 90 feet from home and no outs, Jacob Pavlyak struck out looking.

Tripp Wright drew a walk to put runners on the corners.

Mikey Corbett grounded the ball back to P Dylan Dirks, who looked to throw out Gudde after he strayed too far from third base. The pitcher eventually got his man after two different run-downs and games of pickle on the base paths.

No. 9 FSHS hitter Marcelino Cortez came up with runners on the corners and two down, but Corbett stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Cortez then blooped a single into shallow left-center to drive in two more FSHS runs and build a 3-0 lead.

Zion Bowlin grounded out to third base, ending a huge inning for the Firebirds.

TOP 2 — NO SCORE

The Cougars’ Paul Bachelor grounded out to third base to start the second.

Dylan Dirks hit the ball back at P Hunter Gudde, who threw him out at first base.

Joe Todd tried to go the opposite way on an outside pitch, but 2B Cooper Karlin jumped on the line drive for the third out.

BOTTOM 1 — NO SCORE

Zion Bowlin ripped the first pitch lefty Dylan Dirks threw right back up the middle for a base hit.

Cooper Karlin grounded the ball to 2B Javier Pena, who turned a double play with SS Paul Bachelor.

Joel Spain struck out swinging to end the inning.

TOP 1 — NO SCORE

Nate Reeder led off the game for the Cougars with a ground ball up the middle, but 2B Mikey Corbett sprung on it and threw him out at first.

Casey Kelley struck out looking against FSHS righty Hunter Gudde, starting for the second time in two days at state.

Garrett Stephens walked with two outs against Gudde, who surrendered just his seventh base on balls of the season.

SMNW cleanup hitter Brett Ferencz hit a soft fly ball to center field to end the inning.

PRE-GAME

Free State High’s baseball program is one victory away from its first state championship since 2006.

The Firebirds won their ninth game in a row, with ease, knocking off Olathe South, 4-1, in an afternoon semifinal at Hoglund Ballpark.

FSHS (20-4) will face another Sunflower League foe, Shawnee Mission Northwest (19-5) for the Class 6A title at approximately 5:30 p.m.

The two teams faced each other once this spring, on April 7, when the Cougars won 6-3 at Free State.

Zion Bowlin went 1-for-3 and scored twice in that meeting, and Cooper Karlin went 1-for-4.

This blog will serve as your landing spot for live updates throughout the championship showdown, and you can follow the action on Twitter, via @LJWpreps.

Here’s Free State’s lineup for the title game:

3B Zion Bowlin

2B Cooper Karlin

CF Joel Spain

C Jon Saathoff

P Hunter Gudde

LF Jacob Pavlyak

RF Tripp Wright

SS Mikey Corbett

1B Marcelino Cortez