CENTRAL NEW YORK – Rebounding from early-season defeats to Marcellus and Skaneateles, the Cazenovia girls tennis team followed up with three victories in a row.
Capping that string was last Friday’s neighborhood clash with Chittenango where the Lakers, claiming all three singles points, defeated the Bears 5-2.
Clare Douglas began the singles sweep, topping Savannah Drake 6-4, 6-1. Baylee Pierce followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Sarah McKillip as Rachel Molloy handled Sophie Turner 6-1, 6-0.
Getting on the board in doubles, Chittenango saw Allison Soulier and Anna Spencer sweep Julia Knutsen and Erin Kuhn 6-2, 6-2, with Maddy Douglas and Mya Vincent topping Ava Gallon and Faith Widrick 6-4, 6-2.
But Cazenovia’s duo of Quinlan Emhoff and Emma Schwartz rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Brianna Crystal and Mya McLean-Wilson. Kuhn and Katie Pavelchak beat Allison Bartozek and Michelle LaTour 6-1, 6-4.
A week earlier, on Sept. 3, the Lakers shut out Pulaski 7-0 on Sept. 3, helped in no small part by having three matches forfeited by the Blue Devils, but still dominating the contested matches.
Pierce won 6-1, 6-4 over Lexi Chartsky, with Douglas handling Holly Pacyon 6-3, 6-0. Knutsen and Schwartz paired up in doubles for a 6-1, 6-1 win over Julianna Hefti and Isabella Pierce, with Emhoff and Kuhn winning over Patience Ingison and Jessica Yesensky 6-2, 6-0.
Returning to action last Thursday afternoon, Cazenovia got another 7-0 victory, this time over the Mexico Tigers.
It took Pierce rallying in singles to top Paige Masrouri 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to maintain that shutout as Douglas had topped Juliana Smith 6-2, 6-4 and Molloy beat Isabella Ponzi 6-2, 6-1.
Emhoff and Kuhn handled Grace Schipper and Shelby Schumacher 6-1, 6-2, with Madden Cobb and Ava Galton beating Morgan Benton and Shaelyn Burns 6-1, 6-2. It was a bit closer for Knutsen and Schwartz, but they got a 6-3, 6-4 win over Ella Blunt and Amita Druce.
Before all this, Chittenango made its season debut against Marcellus, and put up quite a battle even as it took a 4-3 defeat to the Mustangs.
Spencer rallied in singles for the Bears to beat Maddie Vetsch 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, though Drake and Elena Torrego both lost in straight sets.
Moving to doubles, Crystal and McLean-Wilson got a 6-3, 7-5 win over Korrine Kemp and Claire Wrona, with Douglas andVincent topping Izzy Ippolitti and Shaelyn Kelly 6-2, 6-4. The teams of Bartoszek-LaTour and Lynze Devine-Sophie Turner both lost in two sets.
Up against the other Lakers from Skaneateles last Tuesday afternoon, Chittenango took a 6-1 defeat, only getting on the board when Spencer and Soulier paired up to outlast Ella Danforth and Sophia Soderberg 7-6, 4-6, 10-7.
