BUTLER TWP - Bases loaded. No one out. A perfect situation.

Not so fast.

Trailing by a run, Freeport loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning against Laurel, but it couldn't push a run across on the way to a 3-2 loss at Highfield Park in the first round of the WPIAL Class AA baseball playoffs Tuesday afternoon.

No. 8 hitter Cody Betush led off the inning for the Yellowjackets with a walk before Jim Beggs reached on a throwing error after putting down a perfect sacrifice bunt.

A walk to leadoff hitter Jake Lassinger put Freeport in what seemingly was a perfect scenario.

"Bases loaded. No outs," said Laurel coach Eric Verdi. "It didn't look good."

But Laurel sophomore pitcher Corey Collins wiggled out of the jam - in part due to Freeport's aggressiveness.

Laurel got a force out at the plate and then No. 3 hitter Nate Kurtz tried to lay down a bunt on a suicide squeeze play. The pitch tinged off his aluminum bat right into the mitt of catcher Kyle Hutchison, who easily nailed Beggs trying to scamper back to third.

Kurtz then hit a ground ball to first baseman John Thomas, who bobbled it before throwing to Collins covering the bag to nip Kurtz.

"We've played that way all year," said Freeport coach Chris Graczyk. "We've never been passive. We want to go out and take charge of the game."

Neither team had much luck moving runners when given the chance. Verdi said his team missed seven chances to sacrifice bunt a runner into scoring position.

"The only negative is we didn't get bunts down," Verdi said. "We're a small-ball team, and you have to be able to manufacture runs."

Neither team had many baserunners to play with early.

Collins, a lefty with a tailing fastball that he threw on nearly every one of his 100 pitches, had a no-hitter through four innings and hadn't allowed a ball out of the infield.

Freeport starter Kurtz was just as effective early, limiting Laurel to just one hit through three innings.

But Laurel broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs - only one earned - off of Kurtz.

Zack Nagel drove home the final run of the frame with a single and also drove him the eventual winning run in the sixth innings.

Freeport, though, got to Collins after the lefty's splendid start, scoring twice in the top of the fifth inning on a two-run double to left field by Lassinger.

After not getting a hit in the first four innings, the Yellowjackets got five hits out of the next nine batters.

"Our hitters have been able to do that all year," Graczyk said. "We've been able to make adjustments as the game has gone on."

Laurel will play Washington at 3 p.m. today in Robinson Township in the second round of the playoffs. Freeport will begin an offseason of what ifs.

"One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to win the section," Graczyk said. "Obviously we didn't do that, but another one of our goals was to make the playoffs. We played a heck of a game today."

Freeport 000 020 0 - 2 6 2Laurel 000 201 x - 3 6 1WP: Corey Collins (7 IP) 7 strikeouts, 3 walks.

LP: Nate Kurtz (6 IP) 7 strikeouts, 2 walks

Freeport (9-10): Jake Lassinger 2B, 2-RBI; Kory Micholas 2-1B; Mike Barch 1B; Sean Mientus 1B; Jim Beggs 1B

Laurel (10-8): Collins 1B; Jason Kobialka 1B; Austin Taylor 1B; Zack Nagel 2-1B, 2-RBI; Kyle Hutchison 1B