photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State players huddle at the mound during their matchup against Olathe South in the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024. The Firebirds lost 9-0.

Free State got a lead early and didn’t look back in a 7-1 win over Shawnee Mission East for third place at the 6A state tournament at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

The Lancers, fresh off a semifinal loss to Blue Valley West, started with two hits and loaded the bases at the top of the first before Free State pitcher Blaine Larkin threw two strikeouts. The Firebirds won the game with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

“It felt good to have another game with the family we’ve built here and the friends I’ve made,” Mason Lester said. “It was nice to end on a win in a game that didn’t have as much pressure.”

Free State started with a single and two walks, which loaded the bases with no outs. Tyler Jeffries grounded into a fielder’s choice, but the play brought Ryker Mahnke home. A walk and a hit-by-pitch brought in the second run, and Ben Wessel hit an RBI single for the third run. The following two plate appearances brought in two runs on a fielder’s choice and an error.

Neither team scored a run in the second, and the Lancers recorded their only run of the game in the top of the third. Anthony Mazza grounded out to second, which scored the run. The Firebirds got the third out on a fielder’s choice after the Lancers earned a walk and took a hit-by-pitch.

The Firebirds were runless in the third, with Buddy Lam hitting a double and Blake Warner taking a walk but not reaching home plate. The Lancers hit two singles to start the fourth, but a double play and a strikeout put the Firebirds back at the plate. There, the Lancers retired the side to close the fourth.

The fifth inning was quiet offensively, as the Lancers managed only a walk, and the Firebirds got one hit from Jeffries and no one else. Ben Graves pitched in the sixth inning, throwing a strikeout to start and retiring the side.

Free State scored two final runs in the bottom of the sixth. After a strikeout, the Firebirds got a single and three straight walks, the last of which brought in a run. Graves hit a sacrifice fly for the team’s seventh and final run.

To win the game, the Firebirds retired the side. Graves threw a strikeout on the final out to end the team’s season with a win and a third-place trophy.

“It was good (to win),” Kyle Graves said. “You want to be in the state championship, but some things don’t fall your way. But it’s a good feeling, especially with all these guys.”

It wasn’t the game the team hoped to finish their season winning, but the Firebirds ended their season with a win in the state tournament.

Seniors Kyle Graves and Lester are two of the team’s veteran leaders, which Free State coach Mike Hill said made the team special. Lester said the team had a close relationship on and off the diamond, with several players having played together since early elementary school. This built a team run by leaders who created the type of team a coach loves.

“(The seniors) were good leaders and good workers, and they created a good attitude and a good environment for all the players,” Hill said.

Free State will return some solid youth who contributed to the team’s season. Kyle Graves expects the team to return next year and continue the streak of consecutive state tournament appearances, hoping to play in the title game.

Line score

Shawnee Mission East 001 000 0 – 1 5 1

Free State 500 002 x – 7 6 0

W — Larkin; L — Conkright.

Highlight for FSHS: Larkin 4.0 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 5 K.

Firebirds fall 9-0 in semifinal

Free State baseball’s hits just couldn’t find many gaps, as the Firebirds fell to Olathe South in the semifinal game of the Kansas 6A state baseball tournament earlier on Friday at Hoglund Ballpark.

Olathe South pitcher Austin O’Gorman threw only two strikeouts through the entire game. Batters were making contact, but the team’s inability to put it in an open territory mixed with timely hits from the Falcons culminated in the loss.

“We had a good approach offensively — we just couldn’t get the timely hits when the game was tight,” Hill said. “(Olathe South) played exceptionally good defense, as did we at parts of the game.”

For the first four innings, the Firebird defense, with Kyle Graves at pitcher, made the plays despite the lack of offense. Graves allowed three hits through the first four innings.

Free State got on base with a walk in the first inning, but a groundout ended it before Lester could advance beyond the first bag. Andrew Zimmerschied walked at the start of the second, but three straight outs prevented the Firebirds from taking the lead.

The bottom of the third inning saw the first hits of the day for Free State. Mahnke singled, and Ben Graves hit a double right after, which put the two batters in scoring position. The Firebirds likely would have scored had the ball not bounced over the fence and held the runners up at second and third. The Firebirds missed an opportunity to control the momentum with how close the game was to that point.

“You had that feeling that whoever had that first timely hit was going to be in the driver’s seat,” Hill said. “That’s exactly what happened.”

Two groundouts ended the inning, which was the closest the Firebirds got to scoring in the game. Wesley Cupps hit a triple in the bottom of the fourth, but the Falcons got the final out right after.

Olathe South hit three singles, with the third bringing home two runs. A popout to Cupps at first put the Firebirds back on offense.

The Falcons retired the side in the fifth and managed seven runs in the sixth inning. The Firebirds got an out after allowing two hits to start the frame, but a fielder’s choice and a triple scored three runs, with two reaching home on the triple.

Free State’s Zane Shaw came in for Kyle Graves after the fifth run and walked the first two batters, which set up a sacrifice fly for the fourth run of the inning. The Falcons hit back-to-back singles, the first bringing in a run and the second scoring two. A fly out to Mahnke ended the inning.

“It was just one of those innings, we don’t do that,” Hill said. “It’s too bad it happened at this stage and at this time, but that’s just baseball.”

Ben Graves hit a double, which was Free State’s only hit of the sixth. Shaw allowed a hit and a walk while throwing two strikeouts to prevent another run in the seventh. Free State returned to the batter’s box needing nine runs to stay alive and 10 to win.

Cupps recorded his second hit to start the seventh, but a pop out to shortstop and a double play ended the game.

“To make it to this stage is not easy. To make it to the top four isn’t easy,” Hill said. “They played pretty good baseball — it just wasn’t our day, and that happens.”

Line score

Olathe South 000 027 0 – 9 12 0

Free State 000 000 0 – 0 5 0

W — O’Gorman; L — Graves.

Highlights for FSHS: Cupps 2-3, 3B; B. Graves 1-3, 2B; K. Graves 1-3, 2B.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Kyle Graves pitches the ball to Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Zane Shaw pitches the ball to Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Kyle Graves pauses between pitches against Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Kyle Graves pitches the ball to Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Cupps slides to third after hitting a triple against Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Cupps celebrates a triple at third base during the semifinal matchup against Olathe South in the Kansas 6A State Tournament at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Cupps celebrates a triple at third base during the semifinal matchup against Olathe South in the Kansas 6A State Tournament at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Zane Shaw pitches the ball to Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Mason Lester runs through first base after a hit against Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Kyle Graves pitches the ball to Olathe South during the Kansas 6A State Tournament semifinals at Hoglund Ballpark on Friday, May 24, 2024.