The visiting Hudson baseball team earned an 8-4 win over Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division rival Garfield Heights May 6.
The Explorers, who improved to 13-5 overall and remained in first place with a 5-1 record in the division, grabbed a 6-1 lead with four runs in the top of the first inning and two more in the second. They added two more runs in the sixth.
In the first, Billy Rillero singled to lead off the game, stole second and after the next two batters did not reach base, Aaron Pack and Ryan Pavlik walked.
Dan Perkins drove in Rillero with an infield single and Pack scored on a throwing error. It was Pavlik's turn to touch the plate when he scored on the back end of a double steal as Perkins stole second and Sam Schilling singled home Perkins with a line drive to center field.
Chad Opalich added his second home run of the season when he blasted a two-run shot to center. Hudson, however, did not get another hit the rest of the way.
The Explorers added two runs in the sixth when Ryan Thornlow reached on an error and Schilling was hit by a pitch.
They moved to second and third on a double steal and Brian Riedel drove in Thornlow with a sacrifice fly. Schilling eventually scored on a groundout by Forrest Johnson.
Isaac Charette went the distance on the mound. He gave up three earned runs and scattered five hits.
Garfield Heights (5-9, 0-6) scored once in the first, twice in the sixth and once in the seventh. Hudson had four hits and three errors. Garfield Heights had six hits and one error.
On May 5, the host Explorers scored two runs apiece in the first three innings en route to a 6-1 victory over Garfield Heights.
Garfield Heights scored its only run in the top of the third and finished with four hits and five errors.
Hudson had three hits and two errors. Sam Schilling picked up the win on the mound to improve to 3-1. He pitched all seven innings and finished with nine strikeouts and just one walk.
Pavlik had two singles and a run batted in and Opalich had a run-scoring single in the first and walked with the bases loaded in the third. The Explorers couldn't do more damage despite taking eight walks.
Hudson was scheduled to host Gates Mills Gilmour Academy May 10 and Garfield Heights Trinity May 10. Results of those games were not available at press time.
The Explorers are set to host Valley Division foe Solon May 12 before heading to Solon May 13. They are scheduled to entertain Nordonia in Division I sectional play May 14.
All three games are slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.
-- From staff reports
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