1 of 11

Fueled by a 10-run second inning, the Chelsea Hornets remained unbeaten in area play as of Tuesday, April 2, with a 14-4 victory against Pelham. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – It took two innings for the Chelsea Hornets to leave their mark on their third area game of the season with a 10-run second inning being the difference in a 14-4 victory against the Pelham Panthers on Tuesday, April 2, to remain unbeaten in area play thus far.

After falling behind 1-0 through the first inning thanks to a sac fly from Kasey Clark, which scored Cody Ferguson who led the inning off with a double, the Hornets (14-10, 3-0) put together as dominant of an inning as you can in the second.

The inning started with an error and hit batter to quickly begin a threat that wouldn’t end for a while. Jacob Tinnell tied the game a batter later with an RBI double.

Following a strikeout, another error on a ground ball from Austin Frye drove in two runs to put Chelsea up 3-1, and that wasn’t even the half of it.

Three consecutive singles from Adam Reaves, Jacob Boyle and Nolan Forehand continued the threat and brought home two more runs for a 5-1 advantage. Following a walk to Bennett Horton, Carter Frederick doubled to right field to drive in two more.

That was followed by two more walks sandwiched around an error, which eventually made the score 9-1. The final run of the inning came on a ground out from Frye, which allowed Will Peacock to score for the 10th run of the inning.

After a scoreless inning in the third, Chelsea continued putting in work at the plate in the fourth and fifth innings with four more combined runs.

In the fourth, Frye, Boyle, Forehand and Frederick all picked up singles, the latter two of which drove in a combined three runs for a 13-1 advantage.

Pelham (10-13, 1-2) then tried to mount some sort of comeback in the top of the fifth when Hunter Stowe doubled, Clark singled and Phillip Duke tripled to cut the deficit to 13-4.

In the bottom half of the fifth, however, three consecutive walks to lead off the inning ended the game when Matthew McGregor scored on a wild pitch to end the 10-run rule win at 14-4 in the fifth inning.

Frederick led the Hornets at the plate going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, two runs scored and one walk. Frye went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Boyle and Forehand also picked up two hits apiece with a combined three RBIs. Tinnell added multiple RBIs with two after going 1-for-3 at the plate.

Connor Ball got the complete-game win on the mound allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out five.

Pelham was led by Clark with a 1-for-2 game featuring three RBIs, while Duke went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Matthew Meddick also went 2-for-2 with one run scored.

More 280 Reporter

Casen Fields’ 3 rushing TDs not enough to get Vincent past Winston County

Spain Park advances to quarterfinals of Class 6A playoffs

Oak Mountain bests Briarwood in rivalry clash

Second Round Predictions: Four county teams remain in battle for glory