Columbus East High School

The Columbus East Olympians returned to "The Cauldron" on Tuesday night to host the visiting Silver Creek Dragons in a non-conference baseball showdown. Despite a promising start, the Olympians couldn’t sustain momentum, ultimately falling by a final score of 5-1. Columbus East struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when sophomore J.D. Rotert crossed the plate to give the Olympians a 1-0 lead. Rotert finished the night 1-for-3 at the plate, joining senior AJ Tindell and junior Bige Asher as the only Olympians to record hits in the contest. Silver Creek, however, began chipping away in the third inning, plating two runs to take the lead. The Dragons added single insurance runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh to stretch their advantage. They did so efficiently, scoring five runs on just six hits and taking advantage of four walks. On the mound, senior Jackson Watkins shouldered most of the pitching duties, going six innings while striking out six and allowing just three earned runs. Junior Ryker Stott and Kaden Arnholt combined to pitch the final frame. Asher led the Olympians offensively with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, while the team as a whole struggled to find rhythm against the Dragons’ pitching, managing just four hits and striking out six times. Defensively, Columbus East was steady, committing only one error in the field. The Olympians look to regroup heading into their next matchup at home on Thursday vs. Franklin Community H.S.