With both teams fresh off of wins earlier in the week, Belle’s Lady Tigers and Vienna’s Eagles squared off Thursday at Vienna City Park with a leg up in the Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) softball race.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Vienna’s 20-game GVC softball winning streak appeared to be in jeopardy.

However, the Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings to send the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Alicia Long drew a lead off walk before scoring the game-winning run on a Kadence George walk-off double giving Vienna a 4-3 victory in nine innings.

Holding Belle scoreless in the top half of the first inning, Vienna only needed two pitches to get on the board in the bottom of the first.

George belted her first career home run over the left-center field wall giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead on the home dirt after one inning.

It remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning.

Cheyenne Struemph singled to lead off the inning before being thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice.

Later in the inning, Gracie Rehmert helped her own cause with a double before scoring on a RBI bases-loaded walk from Nevaeh Kinsey tying the game at 1-1.

Tied at 1-1 after four innings, Belle looked to take the lead in the top of the fifth inning.

Susie Moman reached on a one-out error before Struemph came to the plate.

Two pitches into her at bat, Struemph played long ball with a two-run home run to center field giving the Lady Tigers a 3-1 lead on the road.

Trailing for the first time in a long time, Vienna looked to answer in the bottom half of the fifth.

George doubled to start a two-out rally before Kayla Hertzing drove her in with a RBI single cutting Belle’s lead in half to 3-2 after five innings.

Entering a do-or-die bottom of the seventh inning, Vienna was down to their last three outs.

Molly Otto reached on an error and scored to tie the game at 3-3 sending the first round of the Maries County softball showdown into extra innings.

Following a scoreless eighth inning, Belle had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth.

Natalie Gehlert singled to lead off the inning before being thrown out trying to score on a fielder’s choice.

Breaking through in the bottom of the ninth, Vienna scored a run to extend their GVC softball winning streak to 21 straight games.

Both teams will meet again Tuesday for Belle’s senior night at 5 p.m., at Belle City Park.