OLATHE — After a stunning 4-3 loss on Saturday to Pembroke Hill, Free State baseball faced a daunting test against No. 1-ranked Olathe East at the College Boulevard Activity Center on Monday.

The No. 4-ranked Firebirds (11-3) bounced back in convincing fashion, taking down the previously unbeaten Hawks (15-1) 7-4 to improve to 6-1 in Sunflower League games.

“We really just needed to have a mental toughness day,” starting pitcher Nathan Young said. “We’re really capable of it; we’ve been talking about it the past two weeks. It really helps when the offense gets up and all that kind of helps us settle in.”

Throughout the last few weeks, the Firebirds have struggled with consistency, claiming wins over the top two teams in Class 6A while also suffering two surprising home losses.

Senior Ben Graves said the key to finding consistency down the stretch is simply “coming prepared every day.”

“We’ve been talking about this all week… knowing that we’re not playing against the team on the other side, (but) we’re playing against ourselves and the standards that we have here,” he said.

Free State recorded just seven hits in the contest, but the majority came in situations with runners in scoring position.

“Timely hitting is everything,” head coach Mike Hill said. “You’re facing an excellent pitcher, and I thought we did a really good job with (Olathe East starter Brett Liezert). He’s going to get his strikeouts; he obviously did… but we battled and we were able to get him out in the fifth.”

The first two hitters of the game for the Firebirds reached base after junior Ryker Mahnke was hit on the contest’s second pitch and Graves hit a bloop single to right field. Both runners came home two batters later when junior Owen Lester just missed a home run, hitting a double off the wall in center field.

“It’s a big confidence booster… (it) takes a little pressure off of our pitcher,” Graves said. “It’s huge that we’re able to score in the first, and if we can keep doing that, that would be awesome going down the stretch.”

Young made quick work of the Olathe East lineup in the first, retiring all three batters he faced. Sophomore Carter Laubach reached base in the second with a one-out walk. Mahnke drove in sophomore Charlie Griffith (running for Laubach) before being thrown out attempting to stretch a double into three bases.

The Hawks threatened with one out in the second, putting two runners on base with a single and a four-pitch walk before Young induced a lineout and a groundout to escape the threat.

For the first time, in the third inning, Free State’s lineup was retired in order after Liezert quickly recorded three outs.

A two-base error began the bottom of the third, and after Young got the first two outs, Barton Community College commit Luke Venneman hit a single for the first score of the game for Olathe East. Young was able to get center fielder Carson King to end the inning with a flyout.

A pair of errors kick-started a three-run top of the fourth for the Firebirds. Senior Zane Shaw reached second base on a fielding and throwing error by Missouri commit Milo Burton before scoring on a throwing error by Liezert, allowing Young to advance to second. A single by Laubach put two runners on, and after a bunt attempt made the second out, Mahnke was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That walk put Graves at the plate, and he made the Hawks pay with a two-RBI double to make the score 6-1 before the inning ultimately ended via a groundout.

“It’s been kind of a frustrating year,” Graves said. “It feels good to finally come through for the team.”

Liezert provided his own run support in the home half of the fourth with a solo home run with one to cut the Free State lead to four. Young prevented further damage, striking out his first batter of the game before inducing a groundout to junior Finn Moore at second base to end the frame.

Liezert retired the three Firebird hitters he faced in the fifth before the Hawks threatened to cut into the deficit. Back-to-back bloop singles by Burton and Kentucky commit Carson May put runners on first and second, prompting a mound visit by Free State pitching coach Steve Abney.

“(Abney) just wanted me to play with a lead, and that’s really what was clutch from our offense today was being able to relax a little bit and make sure we get the ball in play and take care of what we need to,” Young said.

Young induced a groundout before loading the bases with a walk. The score remained 6-2 after Mahnke called off Shaw while fighting the sun and wind to make an inning-ending catch.

One batter reached base in the top of the sixth for Free State after senior Eli Berns drew a walk; however, Olathe East reliever Parker Hughes finished off a scoreless half-inning with a flyout and a fielder’s choice.

Graves took over in relief in the sixth, retiring the side in order via two flyouts and a groundout.

Lester provided an insurance run in the seventh, hitting a single with one out before advancing to third on a double by Shaw. Lester scored on a botched ground ball before two baserunning errors led to an inning-ending double play.

A single and an error put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh before Graves recorded the first out by getting a flyout. An infield single allowed one run to come home, and a second run scored on a groundout before Young put away the final out of the game in right field to complete the win.

“There’s not a tougher kid (than Graves) around,” Hill said. “We did some things there in the seventh that we shouldn’t have done that made it more interesting than it needed to be, but that wasn’t on him.”

The Firebirds will turn their attention to the River City Baseball Festival, starting the three-day tournament at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday against Blue Springs at Hoglund Ballpark. The tournament will allow the team to find some consistency and throw pitchers like seniors Darin Fehr and Kyle Sikes who have seen limited action through 14 games.

“We’re going to have to get to the (bull)pen, and that’s okay,” Hill said. “There’s really not an option this week and that’s great, you know, because we believe in those kids and we think that they can do a good job for us.”

Hill continued: “River City is always interesting. We treat it in some ways like a state tournament… A couple of (games) are at KU, so at least that’s a bigger environment in terms of stadium. It’s a heck of a week for us, but I’m excited to watch our kids play.”