The Presque Isle girls’ tennis team will have a chance to avenge its lone loss of the season when it travels to Ellsworth for an Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal match this afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.
The Wildcats, the No. 5 team in the division, beat Belfast at home Monday in the preliminary round of the playoffs by a score of 5-0 to advance to play the fourth-seeded Eagles. Ellsworth won the only meeting between the two teams held May 13, also in Ellsworth, by a score of 3-2. Due to a lack of numbers, the Wildcats had to take a forfeit in No. 2 doubles, which turned out to be the difference in the match.
In Monday’s match, all three singles players and both doubles teams dominated to defeat the visiting Lions, the No. 12 team in EM Class B.
PI’s Sara Gilson topped Mariah Hurd in first singles, 6-2, 6-1, while Hilary Boucher and Blair Bailey both defeated their opponents by identical 6-1, 6-0 scores.
For No. 1 doubles, Michelle Cawley and Lora Ireland turned in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Mackenzie Moore and Catey McGlinn. In second doubles, the PI tandem of Sarah Morneault and Sedona Lucas eased past Lacey Durkee and Madison Pickering, 6-3, 6-1.
“I was pleased with the way the girls held their focus and continued to play well against a good team,” said PI coach Monica Bearden, whose team’s record improved to 12-1 heading into the Ellsworth match.
A win today would put the Wildcats into the semifinals, which will take place Friday or Saturday against a yet to be determined opponent.
Presque Isle wrapped up the regular season with a 4-1 victory over Caribou last Tuesday. Gilson, Boucher and Bailey won their singles matches, while Morneault and Lucas picked up the Wildcats’ doubles win.
The PI boys closed out their season with a 3-9 record after falling to the Vikings, 4-1. PI’s only win on the afternoon came in No. 1 doubles as Byron Winslow and Andrew Dyer stopped Austin Scott and Austin Cheplic, 9-7.
The state singles tournament took place Friday and Saturday at Colby College in Waterville and PI players were unable to pick up a win.
Boucher suffered a 0-6, 6-0, 6-4 loss to Waynflete’s Lexi Epstein in the Round of 48. Gilson and Liam Hughes both lost their matches by default due to a conflicting PIHS event. Gilson’s match against Deering’s Maddie Abbott never got under way, while Hughes trailed his to Boothbay’s Nick Gorey, 3-2 (40-30) before the match was halted.
