Columbus East High School

SEYMOUR, Ind. — April 24, 2025 — The Columbus East Olympians came out strong Thursday night, taking an early lead on the road in a Hoosier Hills Conference battle, but ultimately fell 6–1 in a tough contest against a strong defensive opponent. Columbus East wasted no time getting on the board. Leadoff hitter Lola Watkins sparked the offense with a double to left field in the top of the first. After stealing third, Watkins scored on a solid line drive single from Baleigh Fish to give the Olympians a 1–0 edge. The early momentum looked promising, and Fish followed it up with a strong start on the mound, striking out the side in the bottom of the first. However, after the opening frame, the Olympians' offense struggled to find its rhythm. Despite a single by Jade Hampton in the third and another by Natasha Armstrong in the sixth, East was unable to string hits together to mount a rally. Walks by Kenzie Hampton in both the fourth and sixth innings created potential scoring chances, but the bats remained mostly quiet against efficient pitching. On the defensive side, the Olympians saw things start to unravel in the third and fourth innings, when a flurry of hits and a costly error allowed their opponent to take the lead and add insurance runs. What had been a one-run game quickly turned into a deficit that Columbus East couldn’t recover from. Fish battled through six innings on the mound, racking up nine strikeouts and working through several high-pressure situations to limit further damage. Despite a late-game effort in the sixth with runners on base, the Olympians were held scoreless the rest of the way. The game ended with a quiet top of the seventh—three quick outs sealing the final score. Columbus East now looks ahead to bounce back as they travel to Shelbyville tonight to face the Golden Bears. First pitch: 5:30 p.m.