E.A. Sports Today

Chelsea puts pressure on Oxford

Jackets in catch-up mode after 2 unearned runs prove their undoing in series opener

By East Alabama Sports Today

CHELSEA – Jake Posey checked Oxford on three singles and Chelsea pushed across two unearned runs to score a 3-1 area victory Tuesday that put the Yellow Jackets in catch-up mode to make the state playoffs.

Chelsea manufactured a run in the first when leadoff man Austin Chadwick was hit by a pitch, stole second and rode home on Tanner Masters’ double. It extended the lead to 2-0 in the third when Masters walked, moved around on an error and scored on a wild pitch. It went to 3-0 when Nathan Hardenberg reached on a two-out dropped third strike and scored on an error.

Oxford scored its only run in the sixth when Austin Bolander singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an infield out and scored on Nathan Lloyd’s sacrifice fly. Lloyd and Judd Moore had Oxford’s other hits in the game.

Posey retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced and at one point retired 10 in a row. He walked one and struck out five.

Oxford pitcher Dillen Miller was just as unyielding. He gave up only four hits, walked three and struck out five.

The Yellow Jackets now are in a position where they have to sweep Chelsea Thursday at Bud McCarty Field and hope to get some help to make the playoffs. They lost two of three to Pell City last week.

“We put ourselves in a deep hole, but we still have a shot,” Jackets coach Wes Brooks said.

Chelsea 3, Oxford 1

Oxford 000 001 0 — 1 3 2
Chelsea 101 100 x — 3 4 0

DILLEN MILLER and Derek Miller. JAKE POSEY and Jacob Burback. 2B: Tanner Masters (C). WP: Posey. LP: Miller.

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