Trying to stay in first place in the OHSL Liberty division, the Cazenovia girls tennis team went through a trio of tough contests, but still hung on to both the matches and the league lead.
First, it was Westhill offering a serious challenge on Wednesday afternoon, though the Lakers did enough to beat the Warriors 4-3.
It helped to have a singles sweep. Elizabeth Palmer roared past Phoebe Langdon 6-0, 6-1, with Laura Gregg handling Adrianna Carello 6-0, 6-3 and Kelly Furlong putting together a 6-1, 6-2 win over Bridget Sherlock.
Needing just one point in doubles, the Lakers earned it when Taylor Mimms and Grace Gara needed straight sets to oust Kathleen Dillon and Anna Pullano 6-2, 6-4. Westhill won all of the other doubles matches in straight sets, though Sally Langan and Sienna Lints got to a second-set tie-breaker before falling to Eileen Fleming and Casey Hagen 6-2, 7-6.
A day later, when Cazenovia took on Skaneateles, again it was tight – and again it turned out well as Cazenovia won the battle of Laker teams by a 4-3 margin.
Palmer again handled singles in a 7-5, 6-3 win over Makenzi Herbst, while Bowser, in third singles, rallied past Alaina Davis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Gregg lost in three sets to Katelyn Ellison 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
So this time two points were required in doubles, and they both were won in three-set thrillers. Langan and Lints beat Elisabeth Belinski and Emily Call 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while Mimms and Gara came from behind for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Olivia Gage and Angela Krause.
One more league match remained, and Cazenovia won that one, too, getting past Marcellus 5-2. Palmer, Gregg and Furlong all won their singles matches in straight sets.
Of them, Gregg had the toughest task, but beat Colleen Stapleton 6-2, 7-6. Langan and Lints handled Tierney Clark 6-1, 6-2, with Bowser joining Edie Connor as they beat Holly Grosholz and Emily Hennigan 6-4, 6-3.
Gara and Mimms lost to Olivia Higgins and MaryKate McHale 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Claire Chanatry and Rebecca Marsch also saw an early lead vanish in a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 defeat to Rebekah Mullins and Genevieve Rao.
Propped up by points in both singles and doubles, Chittenango returned to the .500 mark (5-5) with last Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Mexico.
Ami Petosa dominated in singles, beating Emily Passer 6-1, 6-0, with Kourtney Wilson gathering up a 6-4, 6-1 win over Alinda Dygert. Marie Perriello lost to Kristen Albright 7-5, 6-1.
To get the clinching point in fourth doubles, Danielle Hurley and Jennifer Sternberg needed to come from behind to beat Sam Hillman and Hali Peter 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. By then, McKenzie Doig and Kaleigh Koegel had already beaten Alexis Giovo and Dayna Passer 6-1, 6-3.
In the other matches, Camen Hunn and Alyssa Mroczek fell to Jamie Wallace and Brooke Willis 7-6, 6-2, while Kaitlyn Brant and Shelby Hogan had a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Joelle Lombardoni and Carissa Woolson.
Chittenango also shut out Cortland 7-0 on Thursday afternoon. Shelby Hogan, by beating Elizabeth Welsh 6-3, 6-4, completed a singles sweep where Petosa and Katie Brant also won, Brant over Annie Steven 6-3, 6-0.
In doubles, Doni Look and Makenzie Mohorter got past Kaitlin Klinger and Chu Qing Zhu 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Every other match was won in straight sets.
Cazenovia and Chittenango are both part of the Section III Class B team tournament, as the Lakers draw Manlius-Pebble Hill in Monday’s opening round and the Bears visit Clinton.
