MURFREESBORO — When the Forrest Lady Rockets and Community Viqueens both won their sectional games to advance to the TSSAA state softball tournament, there was a chance the district rivals that are only about 10 miles apart would renew their rivalry on the state’s biggest stage in Murfreesboro.
After a Viqueen win and a Lady Rocket loss earlier in the day, the teams drew each other Wednesday afternoon for the sixth time this season in an elimination game with the end of the season on the line for the losing team.
When the dust had settled, the Lady Rockets used their seven hits to advantage to score single runs in consecutive innings and finished with a 4-2 win over the Viqueens.
Community outhit the Lady Rockets 11 to 7, but could not bunch their 11 singles together and left eight runners on base.
The Viqueens took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the second. 
Abby Murrill led off with a single and stole second.  Carlie Blanton drove in Murrill with a single to put Community up 1-0. 
The inning continued with a single by Taylar Wessner, but a double play kept the score at 1-0.
The Lady Rockets bounced back to tie the game in the top of the third.  With one out, Parker Wales walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Macyn Kirby, and scored on a double by Taylor Moreland to knot the game at 1-1.
Forrest took the lead for good with a run in the top of the fourth. 
After one out, Christa Warren doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Maggie Daughrity to put the Lady Rockets up 2-1.
The Lady Rockets continued their trend with a single run in the top of the fifth. After one out, Kirby singled, stole second, and scored on the second RBI of the game by Moreland to put Forrest up 3-1.
The Viqueens had their best chance for a big inning in the bottom of the fifth, but could only muster one run. After Chloe West and Haley Mitchell led off with singles, Anna Haskins singled to score a run and cut the Forrest lead to 3-2.
After the next two batters were retired, a Lady Rocket error allowed the Viqueens to load the bases, but a Community ground out ended the inning and left Forrest with its one run lead.
The Lady Rockets added an insurance run without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. 
Daughrity led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Carli Warner. 
Two wild pitches plated Daughrity and gave Forrest a 4-2 lead.
The Viqueens managed a last-ditch effort in the bottom of the seventh. 
After Abi Brown singled with one out and was forced at second, Murrill singled, putting the tying runs on base for Community with two outs.
But the Viqueens could not add a run as a strikeout ended the game and the season for Community.
Moreland went the distance to get the win on the mound for the Lady Rockets.  She struck out two and walked one.
Annie Prince started for the Viqueens with Haskins and Wessner in relief.
Moreland helped her own cause with two hits to lead the Lady Rockets at the plate.
Murrill had three singles while Brown and West added two for the Viqueens.
With the win, the Lady Rockets advance and will face Decatur County Riverside at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday in Murfreesboro. 
The winner will play again at 6 p.m. on Thursday night.
Community finished its season with a 21-13-1 record.
It was the final game in a Viqueen uniform for seniors West, Abigail Brooks, Brown, Zoey Dixon, Mitchell, and Murrill.
                                  
Forrest          001 111 0 — 4   7  1       
Community   010 010 0 — 2  11 0
 
Forrest: Macyn Kirby 1-for-3, Taylor Moreland 2-for-4, Ella Chilton 1-for-3, Christa Warren 1-for-2, Maggie Daughrity 1-for-2, Leslie Bartoli 1-for-1.
Community: Anna Haskins 1-for-4, Abi Brown 2-for-3, Abby Murrill 3-for-4, Carlie Blanton 1-for-3, Taylar Wessner 1-for-3, Chloe West 2-for-3, Haley Mitchell 1-for-2.
 
WP: Moreland  
LP - Prince