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Chelsea erupted for seven unanswered runs, including six in the sixth inning, to rally from 7-1 down to beat Class 6A No. 1 Helena. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Hornets battled back late in their showdown with the Helena Huskies to overcome a 7-1 deficit and take an 8-7 win on Monday, April 22 at Chelsea High School.

Helena got off to a strong start with a three-run first inning, and it started off the scoring by using a Presley Lively lead-off walk to hit a one-out RBI double off the bat of Henley Traywick.

Two Huskies batters reached off a hit by pitch and a walk, and a passed ball during Molly Rollan’s at-bat made the lead two. Rollan then singled to bring Emma Olive home and increase the lead to 3-0.

Katie Hopson answered in the bottom of the first for Chelsea with a two-out RBI double to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Hornets also grabbed the first out of the top of the third, but Helena turned back up the pressure with a Lively double and Hannah Steele walk.

That brought up Traywick who sent a three-run home run to left field to take the lead to 6-1.

Helena increased that lead to 7-1 in the top of the third with a Cammi Pugh RBI single. However, the Hornets didn’t go down without a fight and surged back from there.

Chelsea got back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Hopson overcame another two-out hole to hit a solo home run to center and make the score 7-2.

The Hornets then took three straight outs after a lead-off walk in the top of the sixth to keep the momentum going.

Lorelei Beck kicked off the inning in a big way with a solo home run to cut the deficit to four. Then, Samantha Sutton and Allie Scott singled and Caroline Brown walked to load up the bases.

Madeline Epperson got hit by a pitch to bring home a run, and Sydney Carroll followed that up with an RBI single to make the gap just two runs.

Hopson then came up big again with an RBI single to make it a one-run game. That brought up Emma Parmley, and she hit a fly out that led to an error and scored Epperson from third for the tying run.

Then, after Baylor McCluney lined out on the next at-bat, Carroll came home after tagging up to give Chelsea the 8-7 lead and complete the comeback after five straight scoring plays.

However, the danger wasn’t over for the Hornets as a lead-off single by Rollan kicked off a back-and-forth stretch. While the next batter popped out, a walk put runners on first and second. Chelsea then secured a strikeout, but an error after a Lively ground ball loaded up the bases.

The Hornets then secured the final out on a pop out to seal the 8-7 win.

Beck took the win with four shutout innings of relief. She got three strikeouts while allowing just two hits and four walks.

Hopson finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run. Epperson, Carroll, Parmley, McCluney and Beck joined her with an RBI each in the win.

For Helena, Traywick had a game-high four RBI in a 2-for-4 performance. Rollan finished a perfect 4-for-4 with an RBI and Lively went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. Jaida Holtzclaw took six strikeouts across the first five innings in the circle.

Chelsea will close out the regular season on the road on Tuesday, April 23 at 4:30 p.m. at Brookwood. As for Helena, it will face Thompson away from home on the same day at 5 p.m.

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