Vikes fall to East Chapel Hill in Hilltop opener

Union Pines saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end with a 9-3 loss Friday at East Chapel Hill during first-day action of the Hilltop Invitational baseball tournament hosted by Orange High School.

In the top half of the fifth frame, the Vikings scored a run to tie the contest at 3-all, but the Wildcats scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to break the game wide open.

With the win, the Wildcats improved to 7-5 on the season while the Vikings dropped to 9-2. The tilt marked the first loss for starting pitcher Carson Kelly, as the Vike senior is now 4-1.

Union Pines was scheduled to play two more games at the invitational Saturday before returning to Cape Fear Valley Conference action Tuesday, when the first-place Vikings (5-0 in CFVC) host the Overhills Jaguars (7-5, 3-2) at 7 p.m.