Community's Lance Paschal slides safely into third base after his triple to center field. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

MURFREESBORO -- Community was their own worst enemy in their District 9-A tournament opener versus Eagleville at Middle Tennessee Christian early Friday afternoon.

The Vikings fell 10-5 thanks in part to relinquishing six unearned runs due to some rather untimely defensive miscues.

"I hate to keep saying it, but we've got to make the plays," Community coach Josh Burrahm said. "Six unearned runs, that's what cost us the game."

Justin Moore singled and scored after G.J. Strunk's two-out single to put Eagleville ahead 7-1 after three innings of play.

However, the Vikings (7-13) didn't go away quietly.

Brett Bell started a fifth-inning rally with a leadoff single. Two outs later, Cody Pierce singled, Lance Paschal burnt the center fielder to leg out a triple and Dustin White split the left side of the outfield for a double. The spark drew the Purple and Gold to within 7-4.

Disaster struck again in the sixth. A weakly hit ground ball on the infield which should have been the third out turned into a land mine that exploded in the Vikings' faces. An intentional walk and a misplayed fly ball to the outfield contributed to a three-run Eagle rally that left the Community deficit too great.

"We still had a chance but lost it again in the bottom of the sixth," Burrahm said. "We've got good pitching, we just have to play defense behind them."

Losing pitcher Chris West went all six innings, striking out six and walking five.

Chris West went all six innings on the hill for the Vikings. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

Both Paschal and White paired their fifth-inning knocks with singles.

Strunk was the winning pitcher and helped his cause with two base hits.

The loss drops the Vikings into the losers' bracket with no room for error. The face the Boyd Christian/Van Buren County winner in an elimination game. The time was not set as of press time due to Friday night's thunderstorm.

"It's tough once you get in that losers' bracket," Burrahm said. "In our situation, if you win four (straight) games, you win it all. Now, we've probably got to win six or seven total. You've got to have a deep pitching staff."

Eagleville advanced to face top-seeded Cascade.