UNIONVILLE — The Community Vikings battled back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game for a second time, but the Vikings could not overcome a 5-run DeKalb County Tiger eighth inning as Community fell 9-4 in a baseball contest Wednesday night.
It was a pitcher's duel for the first five innings as Thomas Bowling started for the Vikings. 
Bowling, who allowed one run and three hits in five innings of work while striking out three and walking one, escaped trouble in the top of the fourth as the Tigers put runners at second and third with one out. 
A Tiger strikeout and groundout kept DeKalb County off the scoreboard.
The Tigers plated the first run of the game in the fifth inning. 
A walk, wild pitch and a stolen base put the go-ahead run on third for DeKalb County with nobody out.  After a groundout, a single drove in the run and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Vikings quickly bounced back as James Beech homered to lead off the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1.
Community appeared ready to get out of a major jam in the top of the sixth. 
After the Tigers put runners at second and third with one out, the Vikings got the second out while remaining unscathed, but a DeKalb County 2-run double and an RBI single put the Tigers up 4-1.
The Vikings could not score after putting two runners on base in the sixth inning, but Community got off the deck in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.  After a walk to Dallas Grooms and singles by Isaiah Beech and Jaxson Roberts loaded the bases with one out, a groundout by Maki Fleming brought home one run to cut the DeKalb County lead to 4-2. 
A wild pitch scored the third Viking run, and with the tying run on third, Corey Paterick singled to right to tie the game at 4-4 and bring on free baseball.
Two Viking errors, four walks, and a hit batsman were costly in the top of the eighth as the Tigers sent 11 men to the plate and scored five runs with the benefit of just one hit to go up 9-4.
The Vikings put two runners on base in the bottom of the inning but could not score.
The Vikings outhit the Tigers nine to eight, with three hits by Paterick and two hits by Roberts leading the way.    
          
DeKalb Co. 000 013 05 — 9  8  0      
Community 000 010 30 — 4  9  3
 
Community: Corey Paterick 3-for-4, Jaxson Roberts 2-for-3, Isaiah Beech 1-for-2, James Beech 1-for-4, Mason Russell 1-for-4, 1-for-4.
LP: Paschal