Free State starter Jackson Flynn delivers to the plate against a Nixa batter during the first inning on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Hoglund Ballpark.

Free State High sophomore pitcher Jackson Flynn said he was nervous for his first varsity start, but he didn’t show it.

The Firebirds helped Flynn out with a few early runs and Flynn tossed five strong innings to help Free State cruise to a 5-1 victory over Nixa (Missouri) on Saturday at Kansas University’s Hoglund Ballpark.

Flynn, a 6-foot, 155-pound right-hander, gave up just four hits and one run in five innings while striking out four and walking one. He mixed his low-80s fastball, which has a lot of movement, with a hard-breaking curveball. Against one right-handed hitter, his curveball made the hitter duck in the batter’s box before the ball looped over the inside part of the plate for a strike.

“Every once in a while I get it going real good and it’s pretty good where I like it,” Flynn said of his curveball. “But toward the end of the game, I lost it a little bit.”

When Flynn’s curveball wasn’t as effective in the late innings, he escaped a jam by turning a double play when he grabbed a hard comebacker on the mound.

“I’m just tickled to death with him,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “He gets his first start in this environment up here at KU and he was terrific. The breaking ball has been a work in progress with him and the amount of improvement in that pitch over the last two years for him has been phenomenal. It’s a credit to his work.”

For the last two innings, the Firebirds used their senior closer, right-hander Casey Hearnen, who gave up just one hit and struck out two.

“Everybody was lights out today,” junior second baseman Cooper Karlin said. “Nothing you can complain about with those two pitchers throwing. It was good all around.”

The Firebirds (10-3, ranked No. 5) gave Flynn a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Sophomore third baseman Zion Bowlin and Karlin opened with back-to-back doubles. Karlin scored on a fielder’s choice.

“That helps a lot. I really like pitching with a lead,” Flynn said. “It’s a big confidence boost. It really gives you an edge when you’re on the mound with a lead.”

In the third inning, Karlin drilled a leadoff single to right field, which skipped past the right fielder and led Karlin to third base. He scored on a sacrifice fly from senior catcher Jon Saathoff. Two batters later, junior left fielder Jacob Pavlyak hit a RBI double, driving in junior right fielder Hunter Gudde, who reached on an error.

After runs came at a premium for the last two games, scoring just four runs, the Firebirds made solid contact and made sure to start the game on the right note.

“I think we were all just seeing it better,” said Karlin, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI. “We all kind of relaxed today. We weren’t so tight.”

The Firebirds will face Olathe South at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at FSHS.

Nixa 000 100 0 — 1 5 4

Free State 212 000 x — 5 6 1

W — Jackson Flynn, 1-0. L — Pat Hoerning.

2B — Dustin Buckner, Daven Rozell, Nixa; Zion Bowlin, Cooper Karlin, Jacob Pavlyak, FS.

FSHS highlights: Flynn, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K; Casey Hearnen, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; Karlin, 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI.