UNIONVILLE, Tenn. – Despite taking a 7-3 lead heading into the fifth inning, the top-seeded Community Viqueens (24-7, 7-0) were upset by a late-inning onslaught from the second-seeded Summertown Lady Eagles (25-7, 6-2), 9-7, in the 1-0 game of the District 9-AA Tournament on Tuesday.

Summertown put together a five-run explosion in the top of the seventh to flip a 7-4 deficit into a 9-7 lead, punctuated by a Karriagan Bradburn three-run home run on a full-count pitch. The rally started with a leadoff walk to Olivia Woods, followed by a bloop single to left. Greenley Taylor gapped a single to right-center field to drive home Woods, then Reagan Stephens doubled home Garland on a 2-strike pitch to cut the lead to 7-6 and bring up Bradburn with nobody out for her no-doubt round-tripper.

Taylor opened the game by smacking the first of her two home runs to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Viqueens responded in the bottom of the second with two runs of their own. First, Mattie Maxey launched a leadoff home run to trim the lead in half before Alana Tate followed up Annie Prince’s one-out double with an RBI-single to tie the game at 2-2.

The Viqueens then knocked Mary Parson from the game in the top of the third inning when Maxey left the yard down the right-field line to take a 5-2 lead. 

After Taylor hit her second home run of the night to make it 5-3, the Viqueens took advantage of a pair of HBPs from Woods in the bottom of the fourth when Kailani Allen lined a 2-RBI double into left to give Community a commanding 7-3 lead. 

Summertown got one run back in the top of the fifth on some more good fortune, starting with an infield single followed by a bloop single down the left-field line with nobody out, eventually resulting in an RBI-groundout for the Lady Eagles.

Community stranded runners on first and second with nobody out in the home half of the fifth, but Annie Prince put up another zero in the top of the sixth to hold the three-run lead.

However, the Viqueens left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, setting up the seventh-inning comeback from Summertown. Community was unable to get anything going in the bottom of the seventh, and the Lady Eagles punched their ticket to both the District 9-AA title game and the Region 5-AA Tournament.

At the plate for Community, Anna Haskins led off going 2-for-4, Gracie Daniel went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, and Kailani Allen finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two doubles, and a walk. Mattie Maxey was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, two home runs, and one walk, Haylee Webb went 1-for-3 with a walk, and Annie Prince finished 1-for-4 with a double. Alana Tate also went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Community hosts Chapel Hill in the loser’s bracket to try and keep its season alive. The game is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.