Free State softball picked up a much-needed Sunflower League win on Tuesday night at home, defeating Shawnee Mission South, 8-7.

The win is the first in league play for the Firebirds since April 3, and is an important momentum-builder as eight of the team’s final 11 games are against league opponents.

“It’s absolutely huge,” Free State assistant coach Bill Roszak said. “We’ve got another stretch coming up here that’s all conference (games), and we have to get every one that we can get.”

The Raiders scored the first run of the game two batters in with a one-out home run off the bat of Mel Gardner. After a hit-by-pitch put the next batter on base, Firebird freshman Jace Feurt induced a groundout and a flyout to keep the damage at one run.

Free State responded in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly from sophomore AJ Collins to score senior center fielder Delaney Bruhns. A wild pitch during the next at-bat brought home sophomore left fielder Sarai Preston to take a 2-1 lead.

“It was nice getting the momentum back,” Roszak said. “We got those runs back and we stayed in the lead most of the game.”

Both pitchers threw scoreless second innings, as the Firebirds put a runner on third with two outs following an error and a wild pitch, but could not extend the lead.

Shawnee Mission South retook the lead in the top of the third. An error and a single with one out began the rally before a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, setting up an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to score the two runners, before a strikeout by Jace Feurt ended the inning. Then, junior shortstop Sophia Halton was the only Firebird who reached base, as she walked but was eventually stranded at third base.

The Firebirds’ defense recovered in the fourth inning with a strikeout from Feurt and a flyout to begin the inning. After an error, senior right fielder AJ Maginnis threw out a runner advancing from first to third on a single to end the frame.

Free State’s offense got rolling with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and exploded for four runs in the inning. Sophomore second baseman Mallary Hice started the rally with a double, followed by a walk from catcher Gia Miele. Maginnis drove in Hice with a single to tie the game before the Firebirds took the lead with a two-RBI double by Halton. Halton scored the final run of the inning on another double by Bruhns.

“That was a big deal,” Roszak said. “The girls hit the ball well tonight, I think they did a really good job with that. And, you know, getting those big runs there was all about momentum.”

Gardner hit her second home run of the game for Shawnee Mission South to pull the Raiders within two runs. After a pop-up and a fielder’s choice, an RBI single brought the Raiders within one run, but the Firebirds and Feurt got out of the inning with a popup to Halton.

Clinging to the one-run lead, the Firebirds’ offense continued to find success in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a triple by senior third baseman Kendall Feurt. Feurt scored on an error that allowed freshman Maya Friedman to advance to second. Hice brought in the second run of the inning with an RBI single before the Raiders escaped with an inning-ending double play.

Hice led the Firebirds’ offense, going 3-for-3 with the lone RBI. Roszak said it was good to see her produce, especially in the seventh-spot of the batting order.

The Raiders responded again with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth to make the Free State lead 8-7. On the other hand, Free State struggled offensively as its lineup was quickly retired after three batters.

Holding the one-run lead in the top of the seventh, Jace Feurt finished off her complete game and secured the win with a groundout and two flyouts.

With the win, Free State improves to 5-9 and will finish out the week by hosting Mill Valley on Thursday at 6 p.m.