A highlight play by junior center fielder Lexie Coxe saved the day for Union Pines Thursday, as it handed the 1-A East Montgomery Eagles a 5-4 softball loss at Lady Viking Field in Cameron.

Coxe cut off a hard hit ball before it went in the gap in right-center, stopping it from reaching the fence.

After making the play with her glove she used her arm to send a cannon throw to shortstop Brooke Briggs, who in turned sent the relay home to catcher Shey Garton to nail an Eagle runner at the plate in the top of the seventh inning.

“That was a huge play by Lexi,” said Viking head coach Randy Calcutt. “If we don’t stop that run then it’s a tie ballgame and they (East Montgomery) may have even taken the lead,”

With the victory Union Pines moved to 1-1 on the season.

The Vikes plated three runs in the bottom of the second frame to grab a 3-0 lead. Kayla Jackson drove in Garton for the first run. Shelby Calcutt later got a rip to bring Jackson home and then Briggs brought in Coxe, who had reached via a base-on-balls, with an RBI single.

After having their lead trimmed down to 3-2, Union Pines got a pair across in the bottom of the sixth. First Jackson reached with a walk and later scored on a throwing error. Then Keilie Poindexter drove in the winning run with a sacrifice ground-out.

Kyrin Walker (1-1) got the complete-game win on the mound for Union Pines. On the night the senior hurler surrendered seven hits and two walks while tallying five strike outs.

Calcutt, a junior second baseman, led the Vikes with two hits. The Vikings are back in action on their home field Tuesday in a cross-county rematch with 4-A Pinecrest at 4:30 p.m. in Cameron. Pinecrest (1-0) edged out Union Pines by a 9-8 final in both teams’ season opener earlier last week (Wednesday) in Southern Pines.