Columbus East High School

FLOYD CENTRAL HS — Senior Drew Rotert delivered a brilliant pitching performance Thursday night, but the Columbus East baseball team couldn’t generate the run support to match, falling 2-0 to Floyd Central in the second round of the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament. Rotert was nearly flawless, tossing six innings of two-hit baseball without allowing an earned run or issuing a walk. However, a pair of costly defensive miscues in the bottom of the sixth allowed the Highlanders to scratch across two unearned runs — the only scores of the game. Despite the tough loss, the Olympians got a balanced effort at the plate, with five different players collecting one hit each. Seniors Logan Warren and Bige Asher both notched doubles to highlight the offense, while Marcus Wilkinson, Eli Tindell, and Jackson Watkins also reached safely. On the basepaths, East stayed aggressive with three stolen bases — one each from Wilkinson, Eli Tindell, and Emmitt Harden. Defensively, the Olympians recorded one double play but also committed three errors, which ultimately proved decisive in a tightly contested matchup. Columbus East will look to bounce back on Friday when it hosts Jennings County in the sixth-place game of the HHC tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the East baseball complex.