Free State tops Lawrence High 6-3 for fifth straight rivalry win
Three Lawrence High errors in the first inning opened the door, and Zane Shaw’s 16 strikeouts shut it as Free State won its fifth straight City Showdown.
Lawrence High gave Free State the opening it needed at Hoglund Ballpark, and the Firebirds turned three first-inning errors into a two-run lead on the way to a 6-3 win Monday, May 11. The result extended Free State’s hold on the City Showdown to five straight victories and kept the Crosstown rivalry tilted firmly toward the Firebirds as postseason play approached.
Free State did not let Lawrence back into the game after that early break. Zane Shaw struck out a season-high 16 batters and repeatedly kept Lawrence hitters off balance, giving Free State the pitching edge it needed to protect the lead. Lawrence pitcher Hudson Hardesty limited the damage after the early mistakes and kept the score from getting out of hand, and Free State coach Mike Hill said Hardesty’s work stood out even in defeat. Carter Laubach added a triple for Free State, and pinch runner Donnie Krehbiel scored on a wild pitch in the second inning to help push the Firebirds further ahead.
For Free State senior Ben Graves, the win carried the weight of a rivalry that has defined much of the class’s high-school run. Graves pointed back to the one loss Free State’s seniors have taken against Lawrence High, when they were freshmen and were run-ruled at Hoglund Ballpark. Since then, the Firebirds have built a 5-0 run in the series and turned city bragging rights into part of the program’s identity.
The victory also fit the larger shape of Free State’s season. The Firebirds entered May 12 at 20-4 and were chasing back-to-back state championships for the first time in school history after going 28-2 in 2025 and winning both the Sunflower League and the Class 6A title. With regional play set to begin May 18-21 and the Class 6A state tournament scheduled for May 27-29, Free State’s pitching, defense and ability to capitalize on mistakes looked like a formula built for the stretch run. For Lawrence, the loss was another reminder that in a rivalry this tight, early errors can decide everything.
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