photo by: John Young

Free State senior Cooper Karlin (9) and Joel Spain celebrate a run scored by Spain during their game against Lawrence High Wednesday evening at Hoglund Ballpark.

Free State starting pitcher Hunter Gudde limited Campus to just two hits Thursday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark, and the Firebirds utilized a three-run fifth to take control in the first round of the Class 6A state baseball tournament.

Cooper Karlin drove in Marcelino Cortez in the fifth to build the FSHS lead to 2-0 and later that inning, Jon Saatoff’s two-run double all but ended the Colts’ chances.

Gudde threw a complete game, struck out five and walked just one hitter.

The Firebirds (19-4) will face the winner of Derby-Olathe South in the semifinals at approximately noon Friday.

TOP 7 — FSHS 4, CAMPUS 0

Blake Manuel reached low and outside searching for a base hit, but SS Mikey Corbett got under it for the out.

Kreighton Rogers grounded to Zion Bowlin for out No. 2.

The game ended with SS Corbett throwing out Lemmons.

BOTTOM 6 — FSHS 4, CAMPUS 0

Tripp Wright hit the ball behind Colts pitcher Neil Lemmons, but he made a great grab and threw him out.

Mikey Corbett popped the ball high to third base for out No. 2.

Marcelino Cortez flied out to left field to end the inning.

TOP 6 — FSHS 4, CAMPUS 0

Campus leadoff hitter Preston Sauer lined the ball into left field, where Pavlyak raced to rob him of a potential hit.

Trace Maddux then kept Pavlyak busy with an easy pop-up.

And Pavlyak made it a one-two-three inning by getting under a Matt Johnson fly ball.

BOTTOM 5 — FSHS 4, CAMPUS 0

Marcelino Cortez led off by legging out an infield single to second base after grounding the ball up the middle.

Zion Bowlin laid down a sacrifice bunt just in front of home plate to move Cortez to second.

Cooper Karlin delivered a crucial insurance run and gave Free State a 2-0 lead with a base hit up the middle.

Karlin, who moved to second base when the Colts’ CF misplayed his single, only moved to third on a base hit from Joel Spain.

With runners on the corners and one down, Spain took off to steal second base, giving FSHS two runners in scoring position for Jon Saatoff.

Saatoff gave the Firebirds even more breathing room with a two-run double to left field, moving Free State’s lead to 4-0.

Gudde popped the ball into the right-center gap for a sacrifice fly that moved Saatoff to third base.

Jacob Pavlyak grounded out to shortstop, ending a huge inning for the Firebirds.

TOP 5 — FSHS 1, CAMPUS 0

Connor Patterson reached for an outside pitch and made hard contact, but 2B Cooper Karlin played it easily for the out.

Jay Hill popped the ball high into the cloudy sky, giving Campus its first ball into the outfield since the first inning, but Tripp Wright got under it easily.

Seth Strohm grounded out to third, ending the inning and leaving Campus with six outs to mount a comeback.

BOTTOM 4 — FSHS 1, CAMPUS 0

Jacob Pavlyak grounded out to shortstop for the first out.

On the next pitch, Tripp Wright hit the ball hard to SS Matt Johnson, who threw him out.

Mikey Corbett tried to get on base with a sneaky bunt down the third-base line with two out, but Lemmons showed off his defense, pouncing on it and throwing Corbett out for a one-two-three inning.

TOP 4 — FSHS 1, CAMPUS 0

Trace Maddux grounded out to first base to open the fourth.

Matt Johnson dribbled the ball up the third-base line and it refused to roll foul, giving him an infield single with one out.

Blake Manuel hit the ball back at Gudde, who got a glove on it, then shortstop Mikey Corbett cleaned it up and threw him out at first. Johnson advanced to second.

With two down and Johnson in scoring position, Kreighton Rogers drew a walk, Gudde’s first of the afternoon.

Neil Lemmons had a chance to help his cause with two Colts on base, but Gudde struck him out to end the threat.

BOTTOM 3 — FSHS 1, CAMPUS 0

The Firebirds’ leadoff hitter, Zion Bowlin, popped the ball into shallow right field to open the frame.

Cooper Karlin tried to beat out a throw after grounding to shortstop but came up a step too slow of legging it out.

Joel Spain reached base for the second time by getting hit by a Lemmons pitch.

After Spain moved 180 feet on one pitch, Jon Saathoff drove him in with a hard-hit infield single to shortstop, giving Free State a 1-0 lead. Saatoff moved on to second base on a throwing error.

Hunter Gudde lined out to left field to end the inning.

TOP 3 — NO SCORE

Gudde struck out Jay Hill to open the third.

Seth Strohm struck out swinging to give Gudde four K’s.

Corbett handled a ground ball off the bat off Preston Sauer to finish a one-two-three inning.

BOTTOM 2 — NO SCORE

Hunter Gudde started off the inning with a base hit to left field.

Jacob Pavlyak moved pinch runner Jaden Moore to second base with a perfectly placed bunt down the first-base line.

With Moore on second base, and one down, Tripp Wright hit the ball back to the pitcher, Lemmons, who threw Moore out at third base, allowing Wright to reach on a fielder’s choice.

Wright moved to second on a wild pitch and Mikey Corbett drew a walk to give FSHS two base runners with two outs.

Marcelino Cortez hit the ball down the first-base line but grounded out, ending Free State’s shot at putting a run on the board in the second.

TOP 2 — NO SCORE

The Colts’ Kreighton Rogers grounded out to shortstop Mikey Corbett.

Gudde struck out Neil Lemmons.

Connor Patterson hit a hard grounder to first base, but Marcelino Cortez handled it easily to end the inning.

BOTTOM 1 — NO SCORE

Firebirds leadoff hitter Zion Bowlin flied out to center field.

Cooper Karlin grounded out to second base on the first pitch he saw.

With two down, Joel Spain singled up the middle for Free State’s first base runner of the afternoon, then stole second base to get in scoring position.

With the speedy Spain on second, Jon Saatoff lined out to center field.

TOP 1

FSHS RHP Hunter Gudde opened the game by surrendering a double up the middle to Campus leadoff hitter Preston Sauer, whose hustle earned him an extra base.

The Colts’ Trace Maddux grounded out to first base for the first out, advancing Sauer to third base.

Campus No. 3 hitter Matt Johnson struck out looking against Gudde.

Gudde got cleanup hitter Blake Manuel to ground out to 3B Zion Bowlin to end the Colts’ scoring threat and get out of the inning.

PRE-GAME

Welcome to the Lawrence Journal-World’s live coverage of the 2015 Class 6A state baseball tournament, featuring Free State High.

The No. 2 seed Firebirds (18-4) enter Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup with Wichita-Haysville Campus (15-7) on a seven-game winning streak and have won 10 of their last 11 games.

FSHS, coached by Mike Hill, returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2010. The pitching staff — led by junior starters Hunter Gudde and Trevor Munsch and senior closer Casey Hearnen — has carried Free State, with a 1.65 ERA. The staff has surrendered only 127 hits in 152 innings.

Offensively, senior Joel Spain leads the Firebirds with a .382 batting average and 23 runs scored. Gudde is hitting .361, with a team-leading 20 RBIs. Senior Cooper Karlin has a .318 average, has drawn a team-high 18 walks and has crossed home plate 18 times.

This blog will serve as your landing spot for updates from Kansas University’s Hoglund Ballpark, but you can also follow the action on Twitter, via @LJWpreps.

First pitch is scheduled for 3:45 p.m.

Earlier today, No. 1 seed Shawnee Mission East advanced to Friday’s semifinals with a 5-4 victory over Junction City.

No. 5 seed Shawnee Mission Northwest defeated Wichita Northwest, 7-0, to give the Sunflower League two teams in the semifinals. No. 2 seed Free State and No. 6 seed Olathe South will try to join their league rivals and continue their hunt for a state title.

STARTING LINEUPS

Here are your Free State starters for today’s quarterfinal vs. Campus:

3B Zion Bowlin

2B Cooper Karlin

CF Joel Spain

C Jon Saathoff

P Hunter Gudde

LF Jacob Pavlyak

RF Tripp Wright

SS Mikey Corbett

1B Marcelino Cortez

And for Campus:

1B Preston Sauer

2B Trace Maddux

SS Matt Johnson

3B Blake Manuel

C Kreighton Rogers

P Neil Lemmons

CF Connor Patterson

LF Jay Hill

RF Seth Strohm