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The Chelsea Hornets bounced back from a walk-off loss to Hewitt-Trussville on Tuesday, April 4 by picking up an 11-7 victory over the Huskies to split the area series between the two. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

The Chelsea Hornets overcame a heartbreaking walk-off loss to Hewitt-Trussville to open area play on Tuesday, April 4 by bouncing back a night later with an 11-7 victory over the Huskies.

A 12-hit night for the Hornets, including four extra base hits, led to 11 runs crossing the plate in the crucial area win, as Chelsea and Hewitt are now matched at 1-1 through their first area series of the season.

In the opening game of the series, Chelsea led 7-4 through the top of the fourth and was tied 7-7 going to the top of the seventh. The Hornets, however, ultimately dropped the game in the bottom of the seventh when Hewitt-Trussville put together a two-out rally that ended with a walk-off single for an 8-7 win.

But a night later, Chelsea didn’t let an early lead slip away.

In a dominant offensive start, the Hornets scored at least one run in each of the first four innings, including eight between the second and third, to ultimately take an 11-3 advantage.

The Huskies tried to mount a comeback in the final inning with four runs, but it was too little too late, as Chelsea pulled off the four-run win to split the area series.

Chelsea took the early 1-0 lead in the game following an RBI groundout from Walker Thomas, driving home Chris McNeill who doubled to lead off the inning.

Hewitt, however, responded with a three-run top of the second to quickly take a 3-1 lead.

The Hornets then followed with a two-out rally in the bottom half of the second to take the lead for good.

They used a two-out triple from McNeill to drive home two runs, while Cade Mims then brought him home with an RBI single to make it 4-3.

An inning later, Chelsea took advantage of five singles, a hit batter and an error to bust the game open with a 9-3 lead that ultimately couldn’t be overcome.

An RBI double from Aiden Hughes and an RBI single from Bryson Morman in the fourth then made it 11-3.

From there, it was all about hanging on, and the Hornets did just that en route to the victory.

McNeill finished a home run shy of the cycle with a triple, double and single in the win, totaling three RBIs on his three hits. Mims added two RBIs on two hits, while Paxton Stallings went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Hughes, Morman and Thomas all finished with one hit and an RBI.

Morman picked up the win on the mound, allowing just four hits and a walk with one strikeout in six innings of work.

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