Baseball Game Preview: Chardon Hilltoppers vs. Bay Rockets

The Chardon Hilltoppers will face off against the Bay Rockets at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Chardon is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.

Chardon will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Holy Name on Thursday. The Hilltoppers walked away with a 13-10 victory over the Green Wave.

John Timko looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has become a key player for Chardon: the team is 6-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-8 otherwise.

Justin Smith

Runs Batted In (Career)

05/15/25 @ Holy Name	4
04/24/25 vs South	3
04/12/25 vs Carrollton	2
03/28/25 @ Licking Heights	2
04/26/24 vs Kenston	2

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Justin Smith, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Cal Smith, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Chardon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, Bay was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-1 heartbreaker at the hands of Rocky River. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Rockets have suffered since April 24th.

Chardon's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-10. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Bay, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-13.

Chardon came out on top in a nail-biter against Bay when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Hilltoppers repeat their success, or do the Rockets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.