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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Hornets used a pair of massive performances to power another big area win as they swept the regular-season series with the Pelham Panthers.

Chelsea defeated Pelham 9-2 on Tuesday, April 8 at the Chelsea Sports Complex on the back of two home runs from Katie Hopson and 11 strikeouts from Sydney Carroll.

The Mississippi State-commit Carroll got right to work in the top of the first ahead of three more strikeouts in the second, working around a pair of walks to keep the Panthers at bay long enough for the Hornets offense to strike.

After a pair of scoreless innings to begin the game, Chelsea’s breakthrough came in the bottom of the third. Olivia Palfreeman was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and that forced a Pelham pitching change while bringing Hopson to the plate.

The senior ripped a ball to deep left field and got one over the wall for a two-run home run, giving the Hornets a 2-0 lead.

Two batters later, Carroll resumed the rally with a single, the first of three-straight for Chelsea as Lorelei Beck and Alaysha Crews got aboard to load up the bases.

While the next batter flew out to reduce the Hornets to two outs, Emma Parmley and Sadie Wilson hit back-to-back two-run singles to take the lead all the way to 6-0.

Palfreeman then came up again and reached off an error, keeping the inning alive long enough for Hopson to single to center and make it a 7-0 game ahead of the end of the inning.

After a scoreless fourth, Chelsea came up with a big piece of two out hitting when Hopson launched her second home run of the day over the center-field fence for the 8-0 lead.

That kicked off a short rally as Caroline Brown singled and reached second on an error before she came home on a Carroll RBI single.

Heading into the sixth down 9-0, the Panthers got on the board after a Taylor Howard walk and a Jordan Young single turned into two runs off an error when Emery Plunkett hit one down the left field line.

However, those would be the only two runs of the game from Pelham as Chelsea took the 9-2 win.

Carroll finished with 11 strikeouts in seven innings, allowing no earned runs while working around two unearned runs, one hit and four walks. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk and an RBI.

Hopson was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs off her two home runs, Crews finished 2-for-3 with a run and Parmley and Wilson each secured two RBI off their RBI singles.

The Hornets improved to 21-9-1 overall and 3-1 in area play and will continue area play on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. against the Spain Park Jaguars at the Chelsea Sports Complex.

Pelham dropped to 9-13 overall and 0-5 in area play and will next play on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. against the John Carroll Catholic Cavaliers at Pelham High School.