LEXINGTON — The Columbian Tornadoes showed the heart of a contender on Tuesday, fighting until the final out in a gritty, hard-fought 4-1 loss to Lexington in the Division 3 sectional semifinal.

A tough bottom of the first inning forced the Tornadoes into an early 3-0 hole, but instead of folding, Columbian dug in and refused to back down.

Right-hander Jamison Woessner took the tough luck loss after a difficult opening frame, but the Tornadoes' bullpen completely locked things down to give the team a fighting chance. Blake Gaulden entered in relief and put together a masterful, gutsy performance. Gaulden silenced the Lexington bats for five spectacular innings, scattering just three hits and a single run while striking out four to keep Columbian within striking distance.

Fueled by Gaulden's stellar effort on the mound, the Tornadoes scratched and clawed for every inch on the diamond. The defense stepped up big, turning a crucial double play to swing momentum, while Johnny Bremyer led the offensive fight with a hard-earned 1-for-3 day at the plate. Columbian constantly forced the issue, ultimately breaking through to plate a run, but they simply ran out of innings in their furious comeback attempt.

While the tournament run comes to an end, the Tornadoes still have plenty left to play for as they look to finish the spring on a high note. Columbian will return to the friendly confines of their home field this Thursday to close out the regular season against Willard. Following that, the Tornadoes will wrap up their year on Monday in a highly anticipated matchup against Calvert in the Honor Games.