Chelsea pitcher Aiden Hughes (8) during a game between Chelsea and Pelham on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at the Chelsea Sports Complex. Photo by Richard Force.
The Chelsea High School baseball team won a pair of one-run games last Friday to advance to the Class 6A quarterfinals. The Hornets went on the road to Saraland and won 2-1 and 1-0 to earn the second-round sweep.
Briarwood also traveled south for the second round of the 5A playoffs, falling to St. Paul’s in the third game.
In the opening game of Chelsea’s series, Saraland got on the board with a run in the first, but that would be all the Spartans mustered. Chelsea tied the game in the third inning on Aiden Hughes’ single, and Cade Mims’ go-ahead double in the sixth inning propelled the Hornets to the win.
Hughes was unhittable after the first inning, throwing the complete game and only allowing three hits. He struck out seven as well.
The only run of the second game came in the second inning, as Bryant Wisdom hit a double to score Paxton Stallings. Jackson Price took care of the rest, throwing a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts.
Head coach Michael Stallings earned his 300th career win during the series.
Chelsea will play Calera in the quarterfinals this weekend.
Briarwood took down St. Paul’s 12-8 in the first game of its series, but fell 8-7 and 6-5 in the final two games to drop a tight series.
In the first game, the Lions trailed 4-1 after three innings, but proceeded to score multiple runs in each of the final four innings to take over and pull away. Seth Staggs led the way with three hits and a pair of runs driven in. Brayden Robertson knocked in three runs.
Briarwood took a lead after five innings in the second game, before St. Paul’s rallied to take the lead back in the sixth and hold on for the win. For the Lions, Houston Hartsfield and Will Clark knocked in a pair of runs apiece.
The decisive game of the series was just as gut-wrenching for Briarwood, as the Lions let a 4-1 lead through four innings slip away. St. Paul’s hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to win the series.
