Columbus East High School

On an unseasonably warm April Wednesday at Olympian Field, the Columbus East baseball team delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, knocking off Class 3A No. 9 Madison, 5-2. The tone of the night was set by senior Ryker Stott, who turned in a workhorse effort on the mound. Stott went the distance, tossing all seven innings while allowing just three hits and two unearned runs. He worked through 106 pitches, striking out three and walking four, consistently limiting hard contact and keeping Madison off balance. Madison struck first with two runs in the second inning, but that would be all the Cubs could muster against Stott the rest of the way. Columbus East’s offense broke through in the fourth inning, putting together the decisive rally. The Olympians plated four runs on timely hitting and smart situational baseball, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Bige Asher tripled, scoring two runs in the 4th, along with an RBI from Emmett Harden via a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring hit from Peyton Asher helped fuel the 4 run 4th inning. East added an insurance run in the fifth, with a line drive double down the right field line by JD Rotert, driving in Bige Asher, continuing to apply pressure at the plate. The Olympians finished with nine hits on the night, led by a strong performance from Asher, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a triple. Rotert added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run, while Stott helped his own cause with a pair of hits on the evening. Landyn Jewell and Peyton Asher also contributed hits as Columbus East consistently found ways to move runners and capitalize on scoring opportunities. Defensively, the Olympians worked through a few miscues but made the plays that mattered late, backing Stott’s effort to close out the ranked Cubs. With the win, Columbus East not only secures a quality victory over a top-10 opponent but also shows the kind of pitching and timely hitting that can carry the team forward as the season progresses. The O's next game will be on the road, Friday, April 17th, when they travel to Greenwood HS to face the Woodmen. First pitch:5:30 p.m.