Columbus East High School

The Columbus East baseball team made the trip to Batesville on Tuesday evening but came up short in a 5-2 loss to the host Bulldogs in a non-conference matchup. After a quiet start, the Olympians struck first in the third inning, plating two runs to briefly take the lead. Senior Jackson Watkins delivered the big hit of the inning with a two-RBI double to put East ahead 2-0. However, Batesville responded quickly with three runs in the bottom of the third to reclaim the lead. The Bulldogs added insurance with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to round out the scoring. Columbus East was limited to five hits in the game, with sophomore Aiden Bumbalough accounting for three of them in a perfect 3-for-3 night at the plate. Watkins and senior Marcus Wilkinson added one hit each. On the mound, Watkins started for the Olympians and worked three innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits while striking out two. Senior Aj Tindell pitched the final three innings, giving up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Defensively, the Olympians played a clean game with only one error and no passed balls, but they couldn't match the Bulldogs' offensive consistency. Columbus East left 11 runners on base and struck out 12 times at the plate. Wilkinson was a bright spot on the basepaths, swiping two bases for East. The O's are back in action tonight(5/7) when they face the Greensburg Pirates @ Greensburg High School. First pitch: 5:30 p.m.