Columbus East High School

COLUMBUS EAST - Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” That sentiment rang true Friday night at the Columbus East diamond, where the Olympian baseball team shook off a sluggish start to shock their cross-town rival Columbus North, 2–0, in a dramatic regular-season showdown. For the first four innings, it looked like the Bulldogs had East exactly where they wanted them. North starter Joey Fry was electric, striking out eight Olympians while allowing just one baserunner. The East bats were not only quiet—they were silent, with no hits through four frames. But East starter J.D. Rotert kept the game from getting away. Despite walking four batters in the first three innings, Rotert relied on strong defense from center fielder Marcus Wilkinson and shortstop Jackson Watkins to escape trouble. The Bulldogs stranded seven runners over the first three innings, unable to capitalize on Rotert’s command issues. The fourth inning went by quickly, with both teams going down in order. Then came the turning point in the fifth. North threatened again, placing runners on second and third with one out, but Rotert induced a comebacker, held the runner at third, and fired to first for the second out. A harmless pop-out ended the inning—and left the Bulldogs scoreless again. In the bottom of the fifth, East still looked lifeless. After two quick strikeouts, Wilkinson was hit by a pitch. That minor moment opened the door. Aiden Bumbalough followed with a clutch single—East’s first hit of the game—advancing Wilkinson to third. A pinch runner, Logun Rager, for Bumbalough stole second, setting up the moment of the night. On a routine throw back from the catcher to the pitcher, Wilkinson darted home, executing a delayed steal to perfection and catching the Bulldogs flat-footed. Just like that, it was 1–0 East. Then, Rotert helped his own cause, slashing an RBI single to right-center to drive in Rager and push the lead to 2–0. Rotert returned for the sixth and recorded two outs, but his pitch count—approaching 100—caught up with him. After a hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases, East turned to Kaden Arnholt, who calmly induced a flyout to end yet another North threat. Arnholt came back out in the seventh and ran into more trouble—two runners reached with no outs. But once again, the Olympians bent but didn’t break. Arnholt shut the door, recording the final three outs and preserving a gutsy 2–0 win. Olympian Player Highlights Pitching J.D. Rotert: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 2 K – Worked through traffic with poise, earned the win. Kaden Arnholt: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K – Clutch relief appearance to slam the door. Offensive Stats J.D. Rotert: 1-for-3, RBI Aiden Bumbalough: 1-for-2, single Marcus Wilkinson: 1 R, 1 SB (stole home on delayed steal) Defensive Standouts Wilkinson: 5 putouts in center, heads-up baserunning Jackson Watkins: 4 assists, clean fielding at shortstop Logan Warren: Solid behind the plate with several blocked balls in the dirt and key foul ball pop-up catch. Box Score Summary | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | | ---- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | CNHS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | | CEHS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | The Olympians showed heart, resilience, and just enough opportunism to flip the script in a rivalry game that could’ve easily slipped away. With this win, East proved that no matter how things start, it really ain’t over till it’s over. Nice job Olympians! The O's now have the weekend to recoup after a busy week of baseball and travel to Jeffersonville High School for the first round of the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament on Monday evening. First pitch: 6 p.m.