photo by: Carter Gaskins

Free State's Grant Gregory (6) takes a fastball to the body during a game against Brandon Valley Friday afternoon at FSHS on March 26, 2021.

Despite a rally in the final inning, Free State’s baseball team came up just short in a 6-5 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest Thursday night at FSHS.

Each team had two runs in the first, but only the visitors kept up the momentum in the innings that followed. The Cougars scored one run in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. FSHS (4-4, 1-3 Sunflower League) was finally able to put something together in the seventh by scoring three runs.

The seventh frame started with a leadoff walk to Ben Stallard. Joey Wood and Drew Bradford began a stretch of four consecutive walks drawn by the Firebirds. Maddox Burkitt and Grant Gregory brought in runs after each of them earned a free pass with the bases loaded.

Brady Kern drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left, but a fly out to center ended the game.

Gregory was responsible for one of the two runs in the first; he brought in Calvin Urish on a single to left. Gregory was also one of four Free State players to record a hit. Urish, Bradford and Matt Gabriel also finished with one hit each.

Alex Carrillo got the start, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits over three innings. William Dawson, Tyler Vigna and Gage Callaghan combined for four innings of one-run ball in relief.

Free State will travel to Shawnee Mission East at 4 p.m. Friday.

Shawnee Mission NW 6, Free State 5

SMNW 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 — 6 11 2

FSHS 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 — 5 4 4