The Class 6A, No. 2 Chelsea Hornets earned a 3-1 victory Friday over third-ranked Oxford and secured a spot in the championship round, which will be played Friday evening at 5:30 p.m.

Sarah Cespedes earned her third win in as many games at the state tournament in Montgomery. Cespedes allowed just one run and had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning before Oxford was able to put a run across. Cespedes finished by allowing two hits and striking out five.

The Hornets scored single runs in the first, sixth, and seventh innings. Allie Miller hit a solo homer in the top of the first to stake Chelsea to the lead. Tristan Ziannis scored Miller on a fielder’s choice in the sixth, and McKenzie Bryant singled to score Bailey Coyne in the seventh. Coyne and Alex Smithson had one hit apiece.

Chelsea’s opponent in the championship round will be determined by who advances from the losers’ bracket. The Hornets need one win to claim the state title. Whoever comes out of the losers’ bracket will need to win twice to win the tournament.

You can follow the Hornets’ progress by following the team (@c_h_softball) or school (@CHHSHornets) Twitter pages.