Site Logo

TENNIS: Tigers edge Willow Springs 5-4

Published 5:47 pm Tuesday, April 19, 2016

By Submitted by Katie Anderson

What went into a tiebreaker, JV number two singles Tyler Pilkington returns with a forehand from Willow Springs' Eli Moore. Being ahead 6-5, they tied it up at 6-6 to go into Pilkington's first tiebreaker. He won, making the score 7-6, tiebreaker 7-5.

Salem got a close win of 5-4 at Willow Springs March 31.

In doubles, number one Gabe Morton and Kyle Hemken, playing his first match of the year, won 8-3 against Kaleb Capeder and Austin Ryan. At number two doubles was Nick Hawach and Eric Wood, with their first loss of the season against Kobe Coatney and Andrew Carda, ending with the score of 4-8.

Brandon Pike and Jacob Stacy played the number three seed in doubles with an easy 8-0 win over Landon Rodgers and Avery Traver. Pike went on to win his singles match against Rodgers 8-1, and Stacy won his match 8-1 against Michael Wickens.

The upsetting losses of the day came from the first, second and third seed singles. Morton, number one, played against Capeder with a loss of 3-8 and Hawach, number two, lost in a long rally match to Coatney 4-8.

Hemken was sitting at the number three singles seed for the day and played against Carda in one of the longest matches of the day, and he barely lost 6-8. Playing for Salem at number four singles was Wood, who won his game against Ryan 8-3.

In junior varsity, starting out at the number one doubles were Tyler Pilkington and Richard Parks. This duo won 6-1 against Willow Springs’ Michael Wilkens and Wesley Clarkston. In a closer doubles match at number two was Sam Swindell and Christian Steelman against Eli Moore and Stephen Hale. The final score was a win of 6-4 for Swindell and Steelman.

Parks kept on his winning streak as he played the number one singles Avery Traver for a win of 6-2. Following him at number two was Pilkington, who went into his first tiebreaker against Moore. Being ahead 6-5, they tied it up at 6-6 to go into the tiebreaker and Pilkington won, making it 7-6, tiebreaker 7-5.

Swindell was Salem’s number three singles and won 6-2 against Clarkston. Number four Steelman, against Willow Springs’ Hale, played the last match of the night. Coach Hubbs said that Steelman played one of the best matches of the night, with an overall win of 6-2.

You Might Like