Moses Lake boys cruise in rout of Sunnyside
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake High School's Rachel Korth did her part in helping her improving squad pull out another dual meet win on Tuesday. The Chiefs took down Sunnyside 7-0 as they recorded seven two-set wins, one of which came via Korth's dominant play at No. 1 singles.
MOSES LAKE — In the best fashion possible the Moses Lake Chiefs boys tennis team secured a winning regular season record on Tuesday.
Playing host to Sunnyside, the Chiefs moved to 7-5 on the season with a resounding 7-0 win and ensured themselves of a record that will finish above .500.
The Chiefs host Richland tomorrow for their final dual meet of the season before embarking on the District playoffs which begin May. 15 in Wenatchee.
“The goal was to go 14-0 on the courts today (including girls’ matches) and as a coach you have to be pleased when the wins go straight across without dropping a set,” Moses Lake coach Jon Wrigley said. “I am hoping this win builds some momentum as the Bombers come to our place Thursday and we need to be at our best if we want to win our final home game of the year.”
Wrigley’s charges did in fact sweep through all seven boys matches winning by a combined score of 85-17 while taking all 14 sets.
Connor Lange took a 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 1 singles while Josh Black cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2.
At No. 3 singles, Tyler Knapp win 6-0, 6-1 and Mikael Mulugeta completed the solo sweep with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Mulugeta is now 8-1 at No. 4 singles.
The doubles teams were just as dominating as the No. 1 team of Dominic Cacchiotti and Levi Huddleston held on for a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) victory.
“Sunnyside looks to have placed their top players in doubles,” Wrigley said. “We let them get us out of our style of play in the second set but we still did enough to get the victory.”
At No. 2 doubles, Adam Coulson and Conner Koreis won 6-2, 6-2 and the No. 3 team of Michael Mekonen and Nat Mengist continue their recent run of strong play with a 6-1, 6-0 win.
“Nat is 7-0 at third doubles and 5-0 with Michael,” Wrigley said. “They are so fundamentally sound as a team. They don’t wow you with flash but they put the ball in play and get themselves to the proper spots on the court.”
Connell boys 4, Royal 1
CONNELL — Royal’s Luis Valenzuela pulled out a tough 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win at No. 2 singles but it wasn’t enough as the Knights lost 4-1 at Connell yesterday.
Royal dropped all three doubles matches, one via forfeit and the others in two-set losses.
Ellensburg boys 5, Quincy 0
QUINCY — Ellensburg’s strong boys squad came to Quincy and established their dominance early and often in a 5-0 win yesterday.
Ellensburg took all 10 sets played and lost a total of two games out of a possible 60 in the dual.
Moses Lake girls 7, Sunnyside 0
MOSES LAKE — Improvement is vital when a program is trying to find a light at the end of a tunnel.
Following a disappointing 0-13 mark in 2009, the Moses Lake Chiefs girls tennis team has made its mark this season as they slowly built back up their confidence and belief.
With yesterday’s 7-0 defeat of Sunnyside yesterday, the Chiefs improve to 3-9 on a season which could easily have been even better if not for a few close, deciding losses in earlier dual meets.
Moses Lake’s No. 1 singles player, Rachel Korth set the tone with a strong 6-4, 6-1 win.
“Rachel was down early in the first set,” Wrigley said. “She has been fighting all year playing at the top spot. She showed what a competitor she can be winning 11 of the last 12 games.”
Korth has been in plenty of battles this season at No. 1 but has enjoyed taking some tough matches on the chin for the team, seeing as they continue to improve.
“We have definitely have grown a lot as a team and we get along really well,” Korth said. “We enjoy each other much more this year. We feel more confident having everybody there watching you and being behind you. It helps a lot even though it’s mostly an individual sport.”
At No. 2 singles, Rachel Hofstetter cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win, Melissa Calder hammered out a 6-1, 6-0 victory, and Chiefs’ No. 4 Jessica Homesley handled her business in a cool 6-1, 6-3 winning fashion.
In doubles action, the Chiefs battled a little more to pull out victories but nonetheless recorded two-set sweeps as well.
The No. 1 doubles team of Courtney Kunjara and Audrey Ramsden pulled away from a tight first set to win 7-6 (7-5), 6-2). Iris Banks and Micaiah Stones also battled it out with their Sunnyside opponents before squeaking through in a 7-5, 6-4 win.
The final win for Moses Lake came via the No. 3 tandem of Amanda Hart and Annalise Odegaard who took a 6-2, 6-2 decision.
“Hart and Odegaard are showing flashes of what they will be if they continue to work,” Wrigley said. “They can really be a special team as they continue, they really have become good at putting pressure on the other team to hit good shots.”
With one more dual meet looming, Thursday against visiting Richland, Korth feels there is still more left to come from her and the rest of her teammates.
“We have improved a lot as a team,” Korth said. “I believe we can win Thursday because we have confidence in ourselves now.”
Connell girls 3, Royal 2
CONNELL — A strong showing at singles was offset by a double sweep against the Royal Lady Knights, giving the hosts Connell a narrow 3-2 win on Tuesday.
Royal’s Breahna Weisser took a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles and her teammate at No. 2, Monica Sanchez, also pulled out an easy victory, cruising 6-0, 6-1.
However, Connell’s doubles teams record three two-set sweeps themselves to lead them to the win.
“Although we came up short of a win, Connell always has some of the best sportsmanship around, leading to a great afternoon of tennis,” Royal coach Josh Drewry said. “Our singles won easily, as they were much stronger players, but our doubles struggled. It wasn’t that they necessarily played better tennis, but they played better doubles.”
Ellensburg girls 4, Quincy 1
QUINCY — Despite a strong performance by the No. 2 doubles team of Claudia Valenzuela and Olivia Arizmendi, the Quincy Lady Jacks fell to a strong Ellensburg squad 4-1 yesterday.
Valenzuela and Arizmendi cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ellensburg’s Kati Camaneta and Ali Gray but the rest of the Quincy squad struggled at Ellensburg record four two-set matches in the dual’s other contests.
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