Columbus East High School

OLYMPIAN FIELD — Under a heavy northwesterly wind that turned every fly ball into a routine out, the Columbus East Olympians saw their bid for a conference title appearance end in a 2-1 loss to Jeffersonville on Wednesday night. Despite out-hitting their opponents five-to-one, the Olympians were unable to overcome late-inning miscues in the semifinal round of the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament at Olympian Field. First Inning Fireworks The Olympians jumped out to an early advantage in the bottom of the first inning. J.D. Rotert ignited the offense with a line-drive single to left field and quickly put himself in scoring position by stealing second base. Moments later, Ridge Koester delivered a clutch RBI single to left, driving in Rotert to give East a 1-0 lead. Pitching Dominance and Defensive Woes The Columbus East pitching staff put forth a remarkable performance, holding the Red Devils to just one hit over seven innings. Starter Ryker Stott threw 5.0 innings, allowing only one hit and one unearned run while striking out three. J.D. Rotert provided 2.0 innings of hitless relief, though he was saddled with the loss after an unearned run scored in the sixth. The game remained knotted at 1-1 from the second inning through the fifth. However, the windy conditions and defensive struggles eventually took a toll. Two errors by the East infield allowed Jeffersonville to score both of their runs without the benefit of an RBI hit. The deciding run crossed the plate in the top of the sixth after a walk and an infield error allowed a runner to score from third. A Final Threat The Olympians looked to stage a comeback in their final at-bat. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Kaden Arnholt showed great discipline to draw a walk, representing the tying run on first base. However, the game ended abruptly when Arnholt was caught in a pickoff move by the Jeffersonville pitcher. Olympian Statistical Leaders J.D. Rotert: 2-for-2, 1 Run, 1 SB. Ridge Koester: 1-for-2, 1 RBI. Bige Asher: 1-for-2, 1 BB. Landyn Jewell: 1-for-4, 1 SB The Olympians will remain at home to host the consolation round of the HHC tournament on Friday, May 15th. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Olympian Field as East looks to finish the tournament with a victory.