MADISON — Bolstered by patient power hitting and resilient rookie pitching, Columbus East defeated Madison Consolidated 12-0 Thursday, March 28 in a Hoosier Hills Conference baseball game at Gary O’Neal Field.

The Olympians (2-0, 0-1) topped the Cubs (1-1, 0-1) by the mercy rule in five innings.

Senior Nash Murphy belted a home run and double, drove in three runs and scored two for Columbus East.

Junior Dalton Back doubled and knocked in two runs.

Senior Jonah Wichman (single, sacrifice fly) also plated two runs for the Olympians.

Sophomore Parker Harrison (double), sophomore Kaden Wise (double), sophomore T.J. Barkhimer (two singles) and junior Cole Gilley (single) all drove in single runs as for the visitors.

“We stayed back and adjusted to the velocity,” said Columbus East coach Jon Gratz. “We were way out in front early in the game. We eventually figured it out.

“We’ve got a chance to be a really good hitting team. We’ve got 10 or 11 guys that I feel can go up to the plate and hit the ball pretty well. “I thought that was going to be our strength. Our pitching has also been good early.”

Sophomore right-handers Clayton Taylor and Daniel Murphy combined on a two-hit shutout.

Winner Taylor went the first three innings and gave up one hit with five strikeouts and three walks.

Murphy fanned five batters and gave up one hit in two frames.

“In their first varsity games, they did a nice job,” said Gratz of Taylor and Murphy. “They got in trouble a couple of times and battled out of it.

“I’m happy with the way they reacted. Some guys get nervous and wheels fall off. They did a nice job of staying focused and doing what they needed to do.”

Daniel Murphy struck out the side for Columbus East in the bottom of the Madison fifth to end the game.

The Olympians tallied two runs in the top of the fifth to go head 12-0.

“Columbus East is just good,” said Madison coach Tim Armstrong.

“They’ve got an excellent program right now.

“They’ve got four or five D-I prospects.”

Wise pulled a one-run double to right to plate Major (single to right).

A sacrifice fly by Wichman drove in Barkhimer (single to center).

Murphy spelled Taylor on the mound for Columbus East to open the bottom for the Madison fourth.

Madison junior Mason Welsh lashed a double to left off Murphy and was thrown out a third by catcher Back after a blocked pitch went to the first base side of the plate area.

“It’s early,” said Armstrong. “We’re learning and we’re going to make some mistakes.

“They main thing is to keep competing.”

Murphy fanned the next two batters to end the inning.

The Olympians piled up seven runs with four hits in the top of the fourth while taking a 10-0 lead.

Columbus East went ahead 4-0 with a solo home run by Nash Murphy.

Leading off the frame, the right-handed hitter belted a 2-2 pitch by right-hander Welsh over the left field fence.

Junior right-hander Dalton Owen relieved Welsh with no outs and runners at the corners.

Barkhimer’s single left off Owen drove in Harrison (walked by Welsh) to push the lead to 5-0.

Wichman’s single to left pushed across Major (walked by Welsh) with the sixth run.

The spread moved to 8-0 when Back rapped a two-run double to right to score Barkhimer and Wise (walked by Owen).

Wichman dashed home ahead of a tag on a groundout by Greenwall.

Gilley’s groundout drove in Back with the 10th run.

The Cubs left two runners on base in the bottom of a score-free third against Taylor.

Sophomore Zach Forner was a hit by a pitch and was left at third base on an inning-ending fielder’s choice by junior Quentin Humes.

The Olympians went down 1-2-3 in the top of the third with two fly-ball outs and a groundout against Welsh.

Madison did not score and stranded two runners in the bottom of the second.

Humes led off with a single to center and senior Gabe True drew a one-out walk against Taylor, but the Cubs did not get a second base.

Columbus East went down in order in the top of the second with a strikeout and two fly-ball outs against Welsh.

The Cubs left runners at second and third base in a scoreless bottom of the first.

Senior Cooper Yancey was hit by a pitch and Forner walked and both moved up on a balk. All three outs were strikeouts by Taylor.

The Olympians tallied three runs in the top of the first. After the first two batters struck out against Welsh, Nash Murphy lashed a 3-1 pitch to deep center for a two-run double, plating senior

Julian Greenwell (walk) and Gilley (single to right).

Harrison doubled on a 3-1 pitch to left to drive in Murphy.

Columbus East and Madison are both scheduled to play two games Saturday, March 30. Huntington North is to visit the Olympians for an 11 a.m. doubleheader.

Three games are slated at Madison —  Carroll County (Ky.) vs. Madison at 10 a.m., followed by Carroll County vs. Greenwood and Greenwood vs. Madison.

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