INDIANAPOLIS — Columbus East’s bid for a first baseball state championship ended in heartbreak.
Hamilton Southeastern took advantage of two Olympian errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim a 3-2 victory in the Class 4A state final at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
East twice battled back from one-run deficits, tying the game at 1-1 on an RBI-single by Julian Greenwell in the third and at 2-2 2-2 on an RBI-infield single by Parker Harrison in the fifth. But the Olympians left seven runners on base in the first five innings.
HSE outhit East 7-5. Cole Gilley allowed two runs and six hits over the first six innings before giving way to Greenwell in the seventh.
Following the game, Greenwell was named the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner.
The game began at 9:50 p.m. and ended at 12:09 a.m. The Class A final that preceded the 4A game was delayed a half-hour at the start because of rain and another half-hour in the second inning because of rain.
For more on this story, and more photos, check back here or pick up a Wednesday Republic.