photo by: Carter Gaskins/Journal-World photos

Free State senior Jake Baker (No. 20) tags out Jefferson City (Mo.) High School's Justin Wood (No. 19) during a game on April 18, 2019 at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

It takes a nice blend of luck and skill to go on a streak like Free State’s baseball team has.

FSHS extended its win streak to 14 games with a late comeback to secure a 2-1 win over Olathe West Wednesday night at the College Boulevard Activity Center. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed one day due to inclement weather.

The Firebirds (14-2, 8-0 Sunflower League) did not have a hit through six frames, and trailed by one run entering the seventh. They managed to score two runs in the final frame off just one hit.

Peyton Sparks began the top of the seventh with a walk and Jaxson Webb was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Mitchell Clark evened the score with a fielder’s choice. Cam Karlin drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout to shortstop.

Senior left-hander Ethan Bradford got the start on the mound, tossing five scoreless frames and allowed just four hits. He struck out seven batters and walked three in his first starting following his no-hitter.

Karlin and David Stuart combined to pitch the final two frames, allowing a total of two hits and one unearned run.

Free State will travel to Olathe East at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

LHS softball suffers 12-2 loss

Lawrence’s softball team suffered another double-digit defeat Wednesday night at LHS.

The Lions (1-11) were handed a 12-2 loss by Olathe South in five innings. Lawrence has now lost 10 consecutive games, including five in a row by at least 10 runs. Karly Johnson, Angelina Harjo and Abby Monroe all recorded a single in the loss. Harjo and Johnson scored the only two runs for LHS.

Kate Williams was 2 for 2 at the plate with a RBI for the Lions.

Lawrence will travel to Gardner-Edgerton for a doubleheader on Thursday.

Local flavor make all-star game

There will be plenty of familiar names on the roster for the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association Metro All-Star football game this summer.

Free State standouts Jalen Nash, Shane Skwarlo, Matt Georgie, LJ Mack and Kameron Lake will compete in the game as players. Lawrence High seniors EJ Jewsome and Eric Galbreath are also slated to play.

In addition, Free State’s Bob Lisher is the head coach for the game for the second time in his career. It will be his sixth time as a member of the coaching staff. Mike Gillman will coach linebackers, while Taylor Stuart will coach receivers. Jeff Lister of Lawrence High will coach the defensive line.

Shawnee Mission South head coach Brett Oberzan, who previously was a defensive coordinator for FSHS, will coach the outside linebackers. Former LHS head coach Dirk Wedd and Lisher will be induced into the GKCFCA Hall of Fame during halftime.

The game is slated to take place on June 13 at College Boulevard Activity Center.

City soccer teams fall

Both Free State and Lawrence High girls soccer teams lost Tuesday night in league play.

The Firebirds and Lions were both on the losing end of lopsided affairs. Lawrence suffered a 10-0 loss to Olathe Northwest, which ended a two-game win streak. The Lions are now 4-6 on the year. LHS will play host to Shawnee Mission South at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Free State, meanwhile, dropped a 5-0 decision to Olathe West Tuesday night. FSHS (1-7-2) will travel to Lawrence at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.