Olathe ? Despite trailing by three runs after the first inning, Free State’s baseball team rallied to beat top-ranked Olathe East, 9-6, on Monday at O-East.

The Firebirds (8-2, ranked No. 5) had a five-run fifth inning when senior Joel Spain hit a RBI single, senior Jon Saathoff hit a sacrifice fly and junior Hunter Gudde drilled a RBI double. The other two runs scored on a walk drawn by senior Marcileno Cortez and catcher’s interference.

“I thought the kids were terrific,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “We got hit in the nose in the first inning. Credit to the kids, they stuck with it and we put up a big five-spot in the fifth. … I thought our pitchers did a really good job to keep us in the ballgame.”

Free State will face Omaha Creighton Prep at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Kansas University’s Hoglund Ballpark in the River City Baseball Festival.

Free State 001 250 1 — 9 9 2

O-East 300 111 0 — 6 11 2

W — Hunter Gudde, 4-0. L — Mitchell Nelson. Sv — Casey Hearnen, 2.

2B — Tyler Olson, O-East; Hunter Gudde, FS. 3B — Olson, Derek Miller, O-East; Cooper Karlin, FS. HR — Ty Herrenbruck, O-East.

FSHS highlights — Joel Spain, 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB; Marcileno Cortez, 1-for-1, 2 RBI, 2 BB.