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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

NORTHPORT – The Chelsea Hornets started out strong and held on for a 6-1 win over the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats on Saturday, March 23 at Tuscaloosa County High School.

After a scoreless first inning, Paxton Stallings led off the top of the second with a double and Mack Brezeale reached base as well off a dropped third strike.

Brezeale stole second to put two runners in scoring position and set up Jackson Price to bring him home off a one-out fielder’s choice, giving the Hornets a 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, an RBI single by Parker Sisco doubled the lead to end the top of the second.

The 2-0 score line held through the third and fourth innings before Chelsea struck again in the top of the fifth.

Chase Lackey and Caden Mims hit back-to-back singles to start the game and set up Aiden Hughes to bring the third run of the game home off a fielder’s choice.

After a one-two-three bottom of the fifth, the Hornets drew back-to-back walks to start the sixth. With runners on the corners and once out, Lackey hit a sacrifice bunt to bring a runner home and increase the lead to 4-0.

While the bunt put Chelsea in a two-out hole, another walk put runners on first and third once again. Following a stolen base by Mims, Hughes hit an RBI single to score the final two runs of the game for the Hornets.

Chelsea allowed an unearned run to cross home plate in the bottom of the fifth when a two-out error allowed a Wildcats runner from second to score, but they didn’t allow any more runs after that and closed out the 6-1 win.

Grant Hill earned the win with five strikeouts in six innings without allowing an earned run. He allowed just two hits, four walks and one unearned run in the process.

While the Hornets closed out the day with a 1-0 loss to one of the top teams in the state in Bob Jones, they will have the chance to bounce back at the Buccaneer Classic in Hoover from March 27-30.