Columbus East High School

Columbus, Ind. — April 12, 2025 The Columbus East baseball team battled Hoosier Hills Conference rival Floyd Central on Saturday at Olympian Field, earning a split in a doubleheader. The Olympians edged the Highlanders 6-4 in the opener before dropping a 5-0 decision in the second game. **Game 1: Columbus East 6, Floyd Central 4** Sophomore J.D. Rotert led the way in the opener with a strong two-way performance. Rotert went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs, then delivered six solid innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and four runs to earn the win. Senior Jackson Watkins shut the door with a scoreless seventh inning to record the save. Watkins also added a hit and an RBI at the plate. Drew Rotert and M. Wilkinson each scored a run, while senior Eli Tindell reached base three times, drawing a game-high three walks. The Olympians showed discipline at the plate, drawing seven walks and capitalizing on Floyd Central's miscues to plate six runs on just four hits. **Game 2: Floyd Central 5, Columbus East 0** The afternoon tilt saw the Highlanders bounce back behind a dominant pitching performance, holding Columbus East to just two hits. Senior AJ Tindell broke up the shutout bid with a double, while Watkins added a single for the team’s only other hit. Despite the loss, East got solid work on the mound. Junior Kaden Arnholt tossed 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs while striking out three. Senior Drew Rotert pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two and not allowing a hit. East's defense was mostly sharp, committing just one error over the two games, with standout efforts from the infield. Bige Asher recorded eight putouts without an error at first base, and both Watkins and AJ Tindell were flawless up the middle. Watkins and junior Logun Rager each added a stolen base in the second game, showcasing some aggression on the basepaths despite the offensive struggles. **Stat Leaders (Doubleheader Totals)** - **J.D. Rotert**: 2-for-6, 2B, 2 RBIs, W (6 IP, 3 H, 4 R) - **Jackson Watkins**: 2-for-6, RBI, Save (1 IP, 0 R), SB - **AJ Tindell**: 1-for-6, 2B - **Eli Tindell**: 0-for-4, 4 BB - **Kaden Arnholt**: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 K - **Drew Rotert**: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K - **Team Total**: 6 runs, 6 hits, 9 walks drawn With the split, the Olympians move to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Hoosier Hills Conference play. They'll look to build on the opening-game momentum as the season progresses.