The Reset: Lions, Hornets baseball teams advance to state final

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Over the course of the year, 280 Living will keep you up to date on the various local high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.

BASEBALL

Briarwood

The Briarwood baseball team began last week with a thrilling victory over Chilton County in a decisive third game to win the Class 5A quarterfinal series.

On Friday, the Lions then swept Sylacauga in two games to advance to the 5A state finals this week in Montgomery. Briarwood will play Springville in the championship series. The Lions will play Game 1 at Paterson Field at 4 p.m. Thursday, with the second and potential third games set to begin at 10 a.m. Friday at Riverwalk Stadium.

Game 3: Briarwood 4, Chilton County 3

Chilton County led nearly the entire contest, but a late Briarwood rally lifted the Lions to a 4-3 walk-off victory in Game 3 on Monday night.

Carson McKinney drove a double into the left center field gap, scoring the tying and winning runs to give Briarwood the thrilling victory. Briarwood entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 3-2, and Bryce Perrien began the frame with a line drive single to right field. With one out, Wesley Helms walked, putting a pair of runners on for McKinney, who promptly ended the ball game.

A two-run homer gave Chilton County the lead in the first inning of the contest, before Briarwood tied things in the second on a passed ball followed by a run-scoring single. Chilton went back on top with a hit in the third inning and the score remained 3-2 until McKinney’s hit.

Briarwood got a tremendous effort from Noah Whatley, who went the distance on the mound. In his seven innings of work, he allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven in 88 pitches.

Game 1: Briarwood 6, Sylacauga 0

Three Briarwood pitchers combined to shut out Sylacauga 6-0 in the first game of the semifinal series, which began at 11 a.m. Friday to beat incoming rain.

Andrew Ponder pitched the first inning, Jonah Carroll followed with 4 2/3 innings and Blake McKenna hurled the final 1 1/3 innings. The hurlers combined to allow just four hits on the day.

Offensively, the Lions struck first with a run in the third, added two more in the fourth and fifth, and one more in the sixth inning. McKenna hit a two-run homer and scored twice. Eli Steadman reached base four times, notching two hits and taking two walks.

Game 2: Briarwood 2, Sylacauga 1

Pitching remained the story for Briarwood in the second game of the series, as Carson McKinney hurled a complete game to lead the Lions to a 2-1 win in the series-clinching victory on Friday afternoon.

McKinney allowed just one run on three hits and struck out four in the game, backing up his walk-off heroics with the bat on Monday in the semifinals. Wesley Helms drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the third inning, and the Lions scored again on an error in the following frame.

Chelsea

The Chelsea baseball team continues to make history, as the Hornets swept Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa last Wednesday to advance to the Class 6A championship series for the first time in school history.

Chelsea will face Cullman in the finals this week, with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Paterson Field in Montgomery. The second and potential third games will be played Friday at Riverwalk Stadium, with the second game set to start at 4 p.m.

Game 1: Chelsea 2, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 0

Back-to-back big hits were all Connor Ball needed in the first game of the series, as Chelsea shut out Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 2-0 on Friday afternoon.

Ball was outstanding on the mound for the Hornets, allowing just two hits and a walk to go along with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Nolan Forehand came on in relief and recorded the final out of the contest.

Bennett Horton and Carter Frederick registered consecutive run-scoring hits in the bottom of the fifth inning to provide the game’s only scoring.

Game 2: Chelsea 5, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 2

Horton and Frederick were up to the same tricks in the second game, as they drove in a combined three runs to lead Chelsea to a 5-2 win over Hillcrest.

With the game scoreless in the third inning, the middle-of-the-order duo notched back-to-back doubles, Horton’s bringing home the first run and Frederick’s driving in two to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead. After 11 scoreless innings in the series, Hillcrest broke through with a two-run double to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth innings. But Chelsea got both of those runs back in the following inning on consecutive bases loaded walks.

For Chelsea, Brock Hill went 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits. Jacob Tinnell came on to earn the save, as he allowed two hits in 2 1/3 scoreless frames.

SOFTBALL

Briarwood

The Briarwood softball team’s season came to a close last week, as the Lions were eliminated from the Class 5A East Central Regional at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park after three games.

Bibb County 8, Briarwood 4

Briarwood dropped its first game at the regional tournament early Friday afternoon, falling to Bibb County 8-4.

Bibb County jumped ahead with three runs over the first two innings, but the biggest blow was a five-run fourth inning to put Briarwood in an 8-1 hole. Sydnee Shirley was credited with a two-run double in the sixth inning.

Briarwood 7, Central-Clay 4

Briarwood bounced back later Friday to pick up a 7-4 win over Central-Clay. Taylor Wheat and Blakley Watts had big games at the plate for the Lions. Wheat, the team’s lone senior, went 3-for-4 with a double and four runs batted in, while Watts tallied three hits and scored three times.

In the circle, Caroline Campbell went five innings and allowed four unearned runs on three hits, while striking out six and allowing seven walks. Cameron Fountain allowed just one hit in two innings.

Marbury 10, Briarwood 1

Briarwood’s season came to an end on Saturday morning in a 10-1 loss to Marbury. Shirley tallied two hits and drove in the lone Briarwood run.

Chelsea

The Chelsea softball team saw its season come to a close last week, as the Hornets were eliminated from the Class 6A East Central Regional at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.

Chelsea 11, Wetumpka 1

Chelsea got one game in Thursday afternoon before rain altered the regional schedule. The Hornets asserted control early and beat Wetumpka 11-1. Chloe Eidson led the way offensively for Chelsea, as she went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Brooke Burback drove in two runs, while Karson Rich and Abigail Bryars registered two hits as well. Bryars went the distance in the circle, as she allowed three hits and one run in five innings, with five strikeouts.

Brookwood 5, Chelsea 1

Chelsea resumed action on Friday morning and suffered a 5-1 loss to Brookwood. Eidson got Chelsea on the board in the first inning with a sacrifice fly, but that was all the Hornets offense could muster.

Chelsea 8, Opelika 0

Chelsea stayed alive in the tournament on Friday afternoon with an 8-0 win over Opelika. The Hornets scored in every inning but the fourth and seven different players registered an RBI. Bryars allowed just one hit in the first three innings and Olivia Trout pitched four innings of one-hit ball to finish the game.

Wetumpka 4, Chelsea 3

Chelsea was unable to overcome Wetumpka for a second time, and the Hornets season came to an end on Friday evening in a 4-3 loss. Camryn Smith’s two-run hit tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning, but Wetumpka scored two more in the following inning and held on to win.

Chelsea finishes the season with a record of 24-21-1.

Oak Mountain

The Oak Mountain softball team played just one game in the Class 7A West Central Regional tournament before rain altered the tournament’s schedule.

The Eagles dropped their first game at Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa on Thursday morning. The regional tournament will continue on Monday at the University of Montevallo, with the Eagles set to face Hewitt-Trussville at 2 p.m. in an elimination game. Oak Mountain would have to win that game and the following game against the loser between Spain Park and Thompson to advance to the state tournament for the second straight year.

Spain Park 1, Oak Mountain 0

Lacy Marty pitched an outstanding game, but the Oak Mountain offense was unable to come through in a 1-0 loss to Spain Park on Thursday morning. Marty shut down the Spain Park offense for the first six innings, before the first four Jags reached base in the seventh inning, with Maddie Majors’ run-scoring hit ending the game.

SOCCER

Both Westminster-Oak Mountain soccer teams, the Chelsea girls and the Briarwood boys all advanced to the state final four in Huntsville over the weekend.

Westminster's girls won the Class 1A-3A state title on Friday evening, in honor of the Lady Knights former coach. Read about the meaningful victory here.

The Briarwood boys put forth a dominant effort to beat Springville and win the Class 4A-5A title on Friday evening as well. Click here for a recap of their title-winning run.

Chelsea's girls were unable to win their second championship in three years, as the Lady Hornets surrendered a pair of late goals to lose to Homewood in the Class 6A championship game on Saturday. Click here for the game recap.

The Westminster boys fell to Bayside Academy 2-1 in the 1A-3A semifinals on Thursday.

— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.