photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State's Elsa Carrillo pitches during the game against Campus on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Arrocha Ballpark.

Free State could find no answer for either Wichita-Haysville Campus’ hitting or its pitching on Thursday night and lost 11-1 in the 6A state softball quarterfinals at Arrocha Ballpark.

The Firebirds showed signs of life when they scratched across their first run of the night on a sacrifice fly by Abry Hill that made it just a three-run game in the fifth inning. But otherwise they struggled to get anything going against Campus pitcher Ava Baker, who allowed three hits in the first six innings of a steady performance.

“They’re good teams when you get here,” Free State coach Charley Bowen said. “It’s always a challenge when you get to this spot, because you know, you are playing some of the ones that just won the regional, and they’re playing at the best at this time, and you come out and try to stop some of the innings and sometimes it gets away, like tonight it got away. But that’s no reflection of what we (have) accomplished this year.”

Free State was dinged for double-digit runs for just the third time all season, and so concluded its campaign at 19-7, in the same round of the postseason when it lost last year.

Bowen said he was proud of his team for rallying after several tough losses early in the season.

“I told them, ‘Keep hanging in there,’ and they finally clicked as a team and rattled off 10, 11 wins, and stuff like that,” he said, “and you could just kind of see the bonding that they came into, and the friendship that they have. They care about each other and it shows, and I think that’s why we got to where we are right now.”

Shortstop Alexis Butler went 4-for-4 with a home run for the Colts, who advanced to Friday’s state semifinal action.

After a scoreless first inning, Campus launched an early offensive in the top of the second. Butler reached base on a bloop single, advanced to second on a passed ball and then came home when Kylah Parson singled down the right-field line. Kamdyn Minnick added one more run by hitting a line drive back up the middle, but the Firebirds were able to end the inning by turning a double play.

The Firebirds got their first hit on infield single by catcher Cydnee Price to briefly disrupt the pitcher Ava Baker, but that was it for their offense for quite some time.

The Colts were able to string hits together more effectively, leading off the fourth inning with two soft-hit singles by Butler and Gabrielle Stauffer and a fielding error at second base on a potential double-play ball. With the bases loaded and no one out, Free State starter Elsa Carrillo struck out Londyn Isidro, but Campus doubled its lead via another passed ball and an RBI groundout.

Megan Kohl walked and Myra Hamilton singled to shallow left field as Free State showed signs of life, but the Colts immediately turned a 6-4-3 double play and then center fielder Ava Strohm leapt to snag a fly ball off the bat of Sarai Preston to end the inning.

The Firebirds finally broke through for a run when Sophia Halton, running for Price, stole second and eventually came home after a single by Grace Rothwell and Hill’s sacrifice fly. But that effort was quickly canceled out when Minnick fought off an 0-2 count with two outs and singled to bring home Butler and make it 5-1.

The Colts put the result further out of reach in the final inning with a gradually escalating one-out rally that included a high-arcing single by Emerleigh Cooper, a triple by Stauffer and a two-run home run drilled to right-center field by Butler. Lillian Clements got in on the action with another triple to right field that boosted the lead to double digits.

Two hits by the Firebirds were for naught in the final inning.

“It’s not the result you wanted, but I can’t be more proud of them (for) what they did this year,” Bowen said.

Line score

Campus 020 201 6 – 11 13 0

Free State 000 010 0 – 1 5 3

W — Baker; L — Carrillo.

Highlights for FSHS: Rothwell 2-3; Hill 0-2, RBI.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior infielder Megan Kohl throws the ball to teammate Bailey Smith in order to get a Campus hitter out at first base on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Myra Hamilton runs to first base after hitting the ball against Campus High School at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Abry Hill high-fives senior Myra Hamilton after the third Campus player strikes out during the top of the third inning at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior infielder Abry Hill yells in celebration after her teammate tags out a Campus player to end the top of the first inning on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Senior pitcher Elsa Carrillo celebrates after striking out a Campus player at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior pitcher Elsa Carrillo pitches the ball against Campus High School at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State infielders high-five in encouragement to start the first inning against Campus at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Grace Rothwell attempts to make a tag against Campus at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Senior infielder Bailey Smith throws the ball to teammate Megan Kohl to tag a Campus player on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State sophomore Sophia Halton runs to third base in the fifth inning against Campus High School at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Grace Rothwell runs to first base in the fifth inning against Campus High School at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Grace Rothwell hits the ball, making it to first base at Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, May 23, 2024.