Propelled by strong singles play, the Baldwinsville girls tennis team made its way back to the Section III Class A championship round, only to get stopped by an all-too-familiar dynasty.
The Bees got there by surpassing Liverpool 5-2 in Monday’s Class A semifinal, played after two different rain-enforced postponements.
Taylor Ferrari, by rolling past Erna Abadzic 6-1, 6-0, set the tone for the singles sweep. Kahlei Reisinger routed Kristina Monakhova 6-0, 6-2, while Amari Pollard had a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Nicolette Hamilton.
Just one point was needed in doubles, and B’ville got two of them. Maddie Fiello and Colleen Morgan worked past Holly Glor and Melissa Inch 6-2, 6-1, while Emma Funicello and Hannah Mautz handled Monica and Sally Johnson 6-3, 6-2.
In three sets, Shannon Hurley and Taylor Slink fell to Caitlin Corrice and Katey Padden 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, while Natalie Kot and Katherine Schumacher fell to Sara Noll and Alexandra Reilly.
And the ‘reward’ for B’ville was going to Utica Parkway Courts 24 hours later for a Class A final against Fayetteville-Manlius, who had run its 18-year win streak to 300 consecutive matches by handling Auburn 6-1 in the other semifinal.
In the title match, B’ville lost to F-M by that same 6-1 margin, Reisinger breaking up the possible shutout when she ripped past Meghan Muraco 6-1, 6-2.
Ferarri and Pollard went to doubles, where they lost in two sets to Rhiannon Iorio and Carly Romano 6-0, 6-4. Funicello and Mautz stayed close for a while, but lost to Allison Donella and Katie Roche 7-5, 6-1, while Fiello and Morgan played their best tennis late in a 6-0, 7-5 defeat to Jessica Guarino and Caitlin Welker.
Elsewhere, Schumacher, now teamed with Alexandra Meanor, had a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Laurin Goldberg and Alexandra Millimaci. Slink and Hurley moved up to singles, taking the place of Ferrari and Pollard, and lost to, respectively, Kara Goldberg and Adair Douglas in straight sets.
