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Chelsea's Adam Reaves signals safe after crossing home plate in the area win against Mountain Brook on April 1. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor 

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Hornets couldn’t have asked for a better start to area play after completing a sweep against Mountain Brook on Thursday, April 1.

Competing in a difficult area featuring playoff contenders such as the Spartans, Briarwood and Homewood, the Hornets needed to get off on the right foot.

After battling a difficult non-area schedule this season, Chelsea seems to have the rotation set and feel confident, which showed on Tuesday in the 4-2 win and again on Thursday with a 4-1 win to complete the sweep and start area play 2-0.

Connor Ball was a big storyline in the Tuesday win after pitching six scoreless innings, and this time around, Brock Hill followed suit.

Hill took to the mound and made it six innings without allowing a run. He went on to give up one in the top of the seventh, but was able to finish off the complete game with back-to-back strikeouts.

He allowed just three hits and one unearned run while striking out 10 in the win.

Chelsea took the early lead in the bottom of the second when a wild pitch allowed Jackson Webster to score after reaching on an error to lead off the inning.

The Hornets left the bases loaded in the inning, but never trailed after that.

They went on to add two more in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back sacrifice flies after loading the bases with no outs.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, a two-out RBI double from Adam Reaves closed out the scoring for Chelsea in the 4-1 victory.

Chelsea outhit the Spartans 6-3 in the win. Reaves was a big reason for that with a 2-for-3 game featuring one run scored. Webster, Ball, Christian Kallher and Gavin Lovingood all had one hit. Chelsea also drew six walks in the win.

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