Columbia HS baseball team tops East Side for first win of season

Columbia High’s Luke Jackson takes a cut at the plate in a preseason scimmage against North Bergen. Photo by Steve Ellmore.
Columbia High’s Eliot Dix takes a cut at the plate in a preseason scimmage against North Bergen. Photo by Steve Ellmore.

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The Columbia High School varsity baseball team defeated Newark East Side, 11-1, for its first win of the season April 7 at Underhill Field.

Luke Jackson went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, a run, and an RBI; Jake Lefferts was 2-for-2 with two runs, two walks, and two RBI; Rowan Marbury was 1-for-2 with two walks, and a run; Aidan Mayberrry had three walks and two runs; Spencer Melee had two walks; Christian Pierre had three walks and an RBI; and Paul Whitney went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI. Palmer Krais struck out three and allowed five hits, three walks and one run over five innings for the win. CHS improved to 1-1.

In the season opener, the Cougars lost at Newark Academy, 3-1, April 6, in Livingston. Columbia scored in the fifth, but Newark Academy answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Rowan Marbury drove in the run for Columbia.

Newark Academy is under first-year head coach Joe Fischetti, who was the head coach of the Cougars for four seasons from 2013-2016.

Upcoming games

April 9, at Cedar Grove, 4 p.m.

April 11, Roxbury, 4 p.m.

April 13, at Montclair, 4 p.m.

April 14, Nutley, 10 a.m.

April 16, at Livingston, 4 p.m.

April 18, Caldwell, 4 p.m.

April 20, at Seton Hall Prep, 4 p.m.

April 21, Demarest, 11 a.m.

April 23, Newark Academy, 4 p.m.

April 25, Newark East Side, 4 p.m.

April 27, at Millburn, 4 p.m.

May 2, Barringer, 4 p.m.

May 4, at Dickinson, 4:30 p.m.

May 7, Montclair, 4 p.m.

May 8, Millburn, 4 p.m.

May 14, at Nutley, 4 p.m.

May 16, Livingston, 4 p.m.

May 18, at Chatham, 4 p.m.

May 22, at Randolph, tbd