Columbus East High School

The Columbus East softball team, with no thunderstorms in site, played a full home game Tuesday night, jumping out to an early lead and holding on late to defeat Class 2A No. 6 Brownstown Central, 12-8, at Olympian Field. After their season opener against Bloomington North was cut short by weather, the Olympians wasted no time setting the tone on this night. A six-run first inning gave East a commanding lead, and a three-run second extended the advantage to 9-2. By the end of the third inning, the Olympians were up 10-2 and in control. The early surge included a mix of power and situational hitting. East strung together several key hits in the opening frame, including a pair of RBI doubles and a two-run single, as the offense tallied 16 hits overall. The middle innings saw continued momentum before Brownstown Central began to chip away at the deficit. The Braves rallied for three runs in the fifth and added three more in the sixth to close the gap. East responded with a two-run homer to regain breathing room before Brownstown again threatened in the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, East closed out the game with a clutch double play — a lineout to center followed by a heads-up throw to second to double off the runner and end the game. Strong production from the bottom of the lineup gave East an extra spark, as multiple hitters in the lower half combined for seven hits and five RBIs. The pitching staff navigated some late-inning pressure but managed to secure the final outs to preserve the win. Raegyn Foster did a nice job on the mound, moving pitches inside and out, and kept the batters honest with a nice change-up throw at good times throughout the evening. The victory marks the first of the season for Columbus East (the BNHS game was not counted as an official game due to the rain), which looks ahead to a busy week with five games in six days. Including a trip to Floyd Central on Thursday, who is currently ranked #1 in the state in 4A and Hoosier Hills Conference opponent, then back home Friday night as they host Brown County High School, and then bring in the Greensburg Pirates for a double-header on Saturday, and then travel to Hauser High School on Monday, April 14th..