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

Free State senior shortstop Sophia Halton throws the ball to first base after getting the out at second against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Lawrence.

Free State softball snapped a six-game losing streak in its regular season finale, taking down Shawnee Mission Northwest 14-8 in Tuesday’s senior night game.

“It’s good to get a win anytime, but you know, your last game of the season going into regionals, you always want to try and go (in) on a positive note,” head coach Charley Bowen said. “I think that’s what we accomplished tonight, and hopefully it’s something we can carry over into regionals.”

The Firebirds celebrated the careers of six players after the game: Rory Scarlett, Riley Schierling, Sophia Halton, Lailah Lewis, Allie Shimanek and Kade Hoffman.

With the final home game came plenty of emotions from both Halton and Scarlett, along with the rest of their class.

“It’s hard to go from playing with all these girls for four years and now having to leave them and they have their own team next year,” Scarlett said.

Hoffman got the start in the circle, and the Cougars jumped on her early, hitting a double and a single to take a 1-0 lead two batters in. After a walk and a wild pitch, Jace Feurt replaced Hoffman in the circle.

Feurt issued a walk to the first batter she faced and allowed a second run on a sacrifice fly before inducing a fielder’s choice and a flyout to avoid further damage.

“We weren’t really thinking about going with Jace at that time, but it just kind of fit,” Bowen said. “For her to come in at that moment and take care of what we needed to care of … that just goes to show what kind of character Jace has and how competitive she is.”

The Firebirds also put two runners on quickly in the first as Halton walked and Shimanek was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Halton scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Preston and stole second before Hoffman worked a walk. After a steal of third, Preston tied the game as Feurt reached safely on an error.

It took just three batters for Shawnee Mission Northwest to reclaim the lead as a ball trickled off the glove of Avery Sack in right field and allowed a runner to score from first while the batter advanced to third and ultimately came across home on a sacrifice fly.

Free State loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second as Sack reached base on an error, Scarlett worked a walk, and a pitch hit Schierling. Sack cut the deficit to one, coming home on a wild pitch and then Halton walked for the second time, loading the bases again.

Much like in the first, Shimanek was hit by a pitch, this time bringing in the tying run. After a pitching change, Schierling just beat out a throw home on a fielder’s choice to give the Firebirds a 5-4 advantage. The Firebirds scored five more runs in the inning on a sacrifice fly and two-RBI singles from both Sack and Scarlett to make the score 10-4.

Offensive improvements have been the biggest key for Free State throughout the back half of the season, and Bowen was pleased with the performance even with some of the regular starters not entering the game until late.

“We were very patient at the plate,” he said. “We got a few walks here and there, and then a couple timely hits.”

After a scoreless third inning by both teams, a single in the top of the fourth brought in a run for the Cougars to cut the Firebird lead to 10-5.

Feurt began the bottom of the fourth with a triple before coming across on a sacrifice fly hit by Scarlett to get the run back.

A leadoff single by Shawnee Mission Northwest resulted in a pitching change as AJ Collins replaced Feurt in the circle. Collins allowed another single before inducing a fielder’s choice. The second out came on a failed delayed steal attempt as Collins threw out the runner going home, and a strikeout ended the top of the sixth.

Sack began a two-out rally with a single and Scarlett was hit by a pitch. Sack scored on a single by Schierling, and an errant throw put runners at second and third. Both runners scored just a few pitches later as Halton hit a hard ground ball past the infield for a double.

The next time up, the first three hitters for Shawnee Mission Northwest all reached base with singles, as the third scored a run to make it a 14-6 ballgame. The fourth hitter of the inning walked to load the bases, and a wild pitch brought in the second run before a strikeout. A fielder’s choice brought in a third run, and then the Firebirds finished the game with a pop-up to Mallary Hice at second base.

With the win, Free State finishes the regular season 10-13 and is currently the No. 10 seed in the 6A West regional brackets. The official brackets will be released later this week, and the regional playoffs will be played next week.

“Everybody starts 0-0,” Bowen said, “and it doesn’t matter who played who in the (regular) season. If we come out and play one game at a time and keep moving on, that’s where we’ll get.”