Chelsea scored 4 middle-inning runs then held off Calera for a 6-4 Game 3 victory in an AHSAA Class 6A quarterfinal baseball playoff.

Third-ranked Chelsea (25-10) broke a 2-all tie with 2 runs each in the third and fourth innings after Calera (21-17) got a 2-out 2-run single that tied the score from starting pitcher Dalton Ash in the top of the third.

Chelsea’s Cade Mims stroked a run-scoring single to take the lead for good in the bottom of the third and relief pitcher Paxton Stallings added sacrifice fly in the inning to make it 4-2.

Run scoring singles in the fifth by Aiden Hughes and Chase Lackey gave the Hornets a 6-2 lead.

Calera’s Mac Graham belted a 2-out 2-run homer in the seventh, but Stallings coaxed a ground ball from the next batter to end the game.

Three Chelsea pitchers combined for 4 hits and 2 earned runs, striking out 8 and walking 4. Starter Silas Osbourn pitched 2 hitless innings while Cade Mims gave up 2 runs in an inning and Stallings allowed 2 hits, 2 runs and struck out 6 over the final 4 innings.

Chelsea’s Lackey was 3-for-3 with an RBI while Hughes was 2-for-3 and each scored twice. Bryant Wisdom was also 2-for-3 with a run.

Chelsea plays Stanhope Elmore in semifinal action.

This post will be updated.