Class 4A No. 3 Columbus East used a solid pitching performance from junior Cole Gilley and added the timely hits necessary to comfortably defeat Southport 6-1 in Monday’s non-conference baseball game.
Gilley went five innings, allowing four hits, three walks and striking out seven to earn the win for the Olympians.
"It wasn’t my best stuff. I probably should have been up in the count more," Gilley said. "The defense behind me was really good. With the wind behind me crazy tonight, it really took a good team effort. If I didn’t have the outfield, infield or the catcher behind the plate, I wouldn’t be able to do anything."
East (13-2) got the ball rolling in the bottom of the first when Dalton Back and Julian Greenwell hit singles before Gilley drove in both the runs with a triple into the gap in right-center to for a 2-0 lead.
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In the bottom of the second, T.J. Barkhimer and Ben Major each singled to put runners on first and second. Jonah Wichman and Greenwell drove in runs with singles to make it 4-0.
The Cardinals got a run back in the top of the fourth to cur the lead to 4-1, but that was all they would get.
The Olympians extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Clayton Taylor reached base on an error, and Greenwell walked. Gilley came through again with a double that plated both runs.
"I was seeing the ball a lot better," Gilley said. "We have a lot of guys that came up with a lot of base hits. Those RBIs wouldn’t be there if they didn’t get on base. With them getting on base, it puts us in a better position to score some runs."
Gilley was relieved by Jose Martinez in the sixth, and Daniel Murphy closed out the win in the seventh.
"(Gilley) has been excellent on the mound and at the plate this year. His velocity was down a little bit, but he still threw well enough to get the job done," East coach Jon Gratz said. "It was a nice job by Jose Martinez and Daniel Murphy coming in relief, and that’s what you want out of those guys, so I’m very pleased with that."
Gilley finished 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and four RBIs. Greenwell went 2 for 3.
The Olympians have a tough schedule in the month of May that will start Thursday when they travel to Jennings County for a makeup game, and then hosting crosstown rival Columbus North on Friday. The Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament is next week, beginning with a road trip to Floyd Central on Monday.
