Kaden Weldon came off the bench to single in the first Chelsea run of the series when the Hornets were facing elimination Friday against Gardendale.
That play sparked Chelsea’s offense in Game 2 and earned him a spot start as the designated hitter in the win-or-go-home Game 3 on Saturday.
With the pressure on, Weldon came through again in his first plate appearance.
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After the Rockets took the lead in the first inning on a home run from Presley Walker, Chelsea leveled the score on an RBI groundout by Christian Kallaher. Weldon came to bat with two outs and hit a two-run homer over the left field fence to give the Hornets a lead they would not give up.
“It felt amazing,” Weldon said. “That’s something I’m never going to forget. We got the lead back and got the team’s confidence back. We went back out there, and we got it done.”
With one swing of the bat, Weldon once again sparked Chelsea’s offense and the Hornets went on to score eight straight runs on their way to securing an 8-2 win on the road.
“I thought we played really well,” Chelsea coach Michael Stallings said. “Our approach in the box was good. We really kept our sticks going, and it carried over from that second game. Our guys really showed up.”
The Hornets (29-16) capitalized on some Gardendale mistakes early in the game as their first four runs were unearned. They tacked on some insurance runs in the sixth inning on RBI singles from Cole Kennedy and Adam Reaves. Chelsea extended the lead again on a pair of bases loaded hit batters, taking the life out of any comeback hopes for the Rockets.
Weldon was slotted in at the eighth spot in the lineup but led the team with two hits, two runs and two RBIs.
“We felt like he was the guy that needed to go into that role today,” Stallings said. “He was a big part of our success in this series.”
Chelsea got another strong performance from its starting pitcher as Parker Szush grabbed his second Game 3 victory of the postseason. Szush pitched six innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out three. All three of Chelsea’s starters in the series pitched six innings while giving up one run or less.
“He is very deserving of that start,” Stallings said. “There was no doubt he was going to get the ball. … After giving up the home run, he got back into a groove. It would have been easy to crumble after a hit like that, but he stayed in it so I’m very proud of his performance today.”
Szush got some help from his defense throughout the game as Gardendale threatened with runners on base and continued to get the ball in play. The Hornets’ middle infielders, shortstop Reaves and second baseman Evan Jones, turned inning-ending double plays in the fourth and fifth inning to slow down the Rockets’ bats.
The win sends Chelsea to its second consecutive appearance in the Class 6A semifinals. After seeing the season ended in heartbreaking fashion the last two years, Stallings believes this team has what it takes to get over the hump.
“I feel like they are really believing in themselves,” Stallings said. “They are playing with a lot of passion and playing really good baseball when they need to. For us, getting into two (Game 3s) and playing well, that should give them some confidence moving forward.”
Chelsea will hit the road again next week to take on Hartselle with a spot in the championship series on the line.
As for Weldon, he’s not sure if he will get a start or be used as a pinch hitter again this season but either way, he’s going to be prepared for it.
“You just have to always be ready,” Weldon said. “You have to stay loose and get your practice cuts in every day. You have to stay ready.”
The Link LonkMay 09, 2021 at 04:27AM
https://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2021/05/kaden-weldon-delivers-big-hit-for-second-straight-day-to-send-chelsea-past-gardendale.html
Kaden Weldon delivers big hit for second straight day to send Chelsea past Gardendale - AL.com
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