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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – The Chelsea Hornets opened up their 2025 campaign in solid fashion, winning three out of their four games at the Thompson Presidents Day Invitational in Alabaster against the Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa Patriots, West Blocton Tigers and Gardendale Rockets.

The Hornets kicked things off on Thursday, Feb. 13 with a complete and dominant performance against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, making a statement with a shutout.

Chelsea got the offense going early in this game. In the top of the first with Katie Hopson on second base, Lorelei Beck singled into left field, scoring Hopson and putting her squad up 1-0.

While the energy was rolling from the early success, the Hornets did not stop there. After a walk and a single began the top of the second, Madeline Kelley recorded a single that drove home the second run of the game. 

Aubrey Ross then walked before giving way to Hopson, who created the biggest noise of the opening game with a grand slam to center field. Suddenly, it was 6-0 Chelsea.

The Hornets then extended things even more in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Ross snuck a single into left field to score the team’s seventh run of the game, helping make an early statement in this one.

Luckily for Chelsea, there was never a threat that its lead would disappear, and it completed a 7-0 victory.

Alaysha Crews got the win with a complete game in the circle. She struck out nine Patriots and walked one while giving up just two hits in her debut.

The Hornets later took the field for their second game of the day and used their momentum from earlier to defeat the West Blocton Tigers 3-1.

Unlike the first game, Chelsea saw the Tigers get on the board first in the top of the first inning with a lead-off solo home run.

The Hornets found themselves searching for an answer for much of the game after that, but finally found one in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases for Kelley, giving her an opportunity to break the game open.

Kelley hit a single to the left side and on the throw to first, an error was made by West Blocton’s first baseman. The blunder resulted in Kelley getting to second and three runs coming in for Chelsea, making it a 3-1 ball game.

While the Tigers got runners on the corners in the top of the fifth, they could not do anything with them, and the Hornets successfully completed a dramatic comeback to record their second win.

Emma Parmley earned the win in this one with her own complete game. She surrendered one run on three hits and recorded nine strikeouts while giving up three walks.

Chelsea returned to Alabaster on Friday, Feb. 14 for day two, carrying the heroics from the previous night with it to defeat Gardendale 6-1.

The Hornets got down to business first in this one, as with two runners in scoring position and two outs in the top of the first, Hopson scored on a passed ball, giving them an early 1-0 lead.

The Rockets responded in the bottom half of the inning when a lineout to right field drove in a runner on third, tying the game at one run each.

Chelsea did not respond until the top of the third inning when Lauren Hilyer blasted a ball over the fence in center field for a two-run deep shot, scoring Crews in the process and making the score 3-1.

In the fourth, the Hornets wanted to add on to their lead. With a runner standing on third base and two outs in the inning, Hopson singled into left field and extended things to 4-1.

With the defense still playing well, Chelsea took the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin in the top of the fifth. After Parmley led the frame off with a single, Beck put up the team’s second home run of the day to center field, making the score 6-1 and leaving little hope of a comeback.

The Hornets sealed that fate with three straight outs in the bottom half, winning their third consecutive game to start the year.

Beck controlled things from start to finish in the circle in game three, giving up one run on one hit, striking out six and walking one hitter.

That would prove to be the end of the happiness for the invitational however, as Chelsea ran into a determined Thompson team and dropped its finale 3-2.

The Warriors began the scoring in this game with back-to-back sacrifice flies in the top of the third inning, going up 2-0 thanks to runs scored from Kelsey Burden and Olivia Tindell.

The Hornets would not respond until the bottom of the fourth, as with bases loaded and two outs on the board, Sadie Wilson recorded a single that drove in Crews and Beck to tie things up late.

However, in the top of the fifth with a runner standing on third base, Hannah Hobbs put down a bunt to drive Tindell home and take back the Thompson lead, which was ultimately the final run in this 3-2 showdown.

Crews picked up the loss to finish things, going the distance with three runs on six hits, recording three strikeouts and two walks.

Following the successful start to the year, Chelsea prepares for its home opener, which will be against the Brookwood Panthers on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m.