For the second consecutive Friday evening, Columbus East ran into an elite pitcher, and for the second time, it resulted in a shutout loss.
Ethan English threw a three-hitter to overshadow a solid pitching performance from the Olympians and lead Class 4A No. 7 Jeffersonville to its third straight Hoosier Hills Conference title with a 2-0 title-game win.
“He was definitely on,” Jeffersonville coach Derek Ellis said. “He did a phenomenal job. At one point, his pitch count was somewhere around 40 to 45 in the fifth inning, something crazy like that. He was pounding the (strike) zone, challenging them, and we made the plays behind them.”
Last week, it was Columbus North’s Casper Clark who threw a two-hitter in the Bull Dogs’ 4-0 win against the Olympians. Friday, English, an Indiana Wesleyan recruit, allowed only two infield singles before East’s Josh Major got one through the infield with two out in the seventh.
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“We hung in there and hung in there,” East coach Jon Gratz said. “We just have to square it up a little bit more. One ball here or there, and it’s a different ballgame. Bottom line, we just have to hit the ball.”
The Red Devils (17-4) gave English all the runs he would need with two in the top of the third off East starter Cole Gilley. Drew Taylor led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jack Ellis. English then singled, but was caught stealing, and Blayden McMahel followed with a two-out solo homer to left-center.
The Olympians (13-7) put a runner on third in the fifth when Nash Murphy reached second on an error and advanced on a groundout. But English got Gilley to fly to right field.
East put two on with two out in the sixth when Jonah Wichman reached on an infield single and Julian Greenwell walked. But Drew Hasson grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Greenwell pitched the final three innings for the Olympians and did not allow a hit. Gilley gave up five hits over the first four innings.
“I’m happy with those guys,” Gratz said. “That’s a heck of a hitting team over there. (Gilley and Greenwell) threw very well, and our defense played well.”
