Columbus East and Bedford North Lawrence are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Olympians will head out on the road to challenge the Stars at 3:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Columbus East will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Edgewood on Friday. The Olympians blew past the Mustangs 11-1. The Olympians not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since April 4th (when they won 11-1).
J.D. Rotert
| 05/23/25 vs Edgewood | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Floyd Central | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Decatur Central | 2 |
| 05/19/25 @ New Albany | 1 |
| 05/12/25 @ Jeffersonville | 1 |
| + 8 more games |
J.D. Rotert made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Columbus East's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-18 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Logan Warren, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four RBI and two doubles. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Eli Tindell was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Bedford North Lawrence had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Saturday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Patriots.
Bedford North Lawrence pushed their record up to 17-6 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Columbus East, they moved to 8-18 with that win, which also ended their five-game losing streak.
Columbus East skirted past Bedford North Lawrence 6-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Olympians since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
