MONTGOMERY — It was a marathon of mistakes and missed opportunities, but in the end, Allie Luster's two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning was the difference in a 5-4 win by Chelsea over Mortimer Jordan in a second-round winner's bracket game at the AHSAA Class 5A State Softball Championship.

Luster's shot over the left field fence came just after a pair of doubles by the No. 4 Hornets broke a 2-2 tie.

Jordan had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the 11th, with the bases loaded and one out. Chelsea more-or-less-intentionally walked Haylie McCleney to concede a run, but Shelby Maze -- who hit safely in her first seven at-bats of the day -- hit into a fielder's choice that forced a runner at third, but allowed another run to score.

But Tiffani Chaviers' soft line drive was caught by Luster at shortstop to end the game.

Jordan took the early lead with runs scored by McCleney in the first and third. McCleney bunted her way on in the first, and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by Chaviers. In the third, she reached on a slap single to right, and again Chaviers brought her homeward, this time with a grounder to short.

Chelsea tied the game in the sixth with two unearned runs, one scored after a double by pitcher Caitlin Bice, who herself scored on a Devils throwing error.

The game had two controversial plays. One went Jordan's way in the top of the seventh, when Erin Jones appeared to score from on a wild pitch from Murphy. But Murphy made an appeal play, and Jones was called out fo rmissing the plate, leaving the scored tied at 2-2.

Then in the bottom of the ninth, McCleney got on first with a walk, and tried to steal on the first pitch to Maze, but was called out for leaving base too early.

Bailey Murphy got her first loss in 12 starts, striking out nine and walking one. Bice got the win, stiking out 10.

Jordan now faces Albertville -- a team they beat twice at regionals -- in an elimination game at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE

CHELSEA 5, MORTIMER JORDAN 4 (11 INNINGS)

CHELSEA              AB  R  H RBI MORTIMER JORDAN      AB  R  H RBI
Caitlin Bice          5  1  1  0  Haylie McCleney       3  2  2  1  
Joslyn Johnston       5  1  1  1  Shelby Maze           6  0  3  1  
Allie Luster          5  1  1  2  Alyson Linn           6  0  1  0  
Alex Osborn           5  0  1  0  Tiffani Chaviers      4  0  0  2  
Erin Jones            5  0  1  0   Kristen Putnam       0  0  0  0  
Kacie Craft           4  0  0  0  Nikki Chafin          4  0  0  0  
Amanda Mock           4  0  1  0  Morgan Cantrell       4  1  1  0  
Maygen Boaz           4  0  1  0  Bailey Murphy         4  0  0  0  
Jordan Gray           3  2  0  0  Brittany Collier      5  0  1  0  
                                  Brooke Hill           3  0  1  0  
                                   Alexandra Copeland   1  0  0  0  
                                  *Cheyenne Hill        0  1  0  0  
TOTALS               40  5  7  3  TOTALS               40  4  9  4

CHELSEA                       000 002 000 03 -- 5  
MORTIMER JORDAN               101 000 000 02 -- 4  

LOB--CHELSEA 3, MORTIMER JORDAN 12. ERR--Allie Luster (2),
Kacie Craft, Morgan Cantrell, Shelby Maze (2). 2B--Caitlin
Bice. HR--Allie Luster. SACF--Tiffani Chaviers. SACB--Morgan
Cantrell, Brooke Hill. SB--Haylie McCleney (2), Shelby Maze.

 CHELSEA                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Caitlin Bice                     11    9    4    4    6   10    0
 MORTIMER JORDAN            
Bailey Murphy                    11    7    5    2    1    9    1

WP--Bailey Murphy. SO--Caitlin Bice (2), Allie Luster,
Amanda Mock, Joslyn Johnston, Jordan Gray, Kacie Craft (3),
Tiffani Chaviers, Alexandra Copeland, Brittany Collier (2),
Nikki Chafin, Morgan Cantrell, Brooke Hill, Shelby Maze,
Bailey Murphy (2). BB--Jordan Gray, Tiffani Chaviers, Nikki
Chafin, Haylie McCleney (3), Bailey Murphy.