Eagles defeat Jay Co.

The Patriots played some close matches Tuesday, but could only come up with one victory.

Becky Muhlenkamp and Emily Huntsman picked up the only point for the Jay County High School girls tennis team in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Frankton Eagles.

Muhlenkamp and Huntsman rolled over Candace McDonald and Emily Rose at No. 1 singles, taking five of the first six games and taking a 5-1 lead in the first set on a Muhlenkamp winner down the left side. They cruised through the second set, taking the first three games and closing out a 6-2, 6-1 victory on Muhlenkamp's serve.

"They were on," said JCHS coach Roy Adams of the pair, which hit winners all day against Rose and McDonald. "Those were the shots that against Marion and against Bluffton we were hitting into the net. It was much better. These girls showed today what they were capable of, and we've just got to go out there and keep doing it."

Kayla Martin got off to a hot start at No. 1 singles, rolling out to a 4-1 lead in the first set against Torrie Rhoades. However, the Frankton freshman roared back to win five straight games to take the first set as she handed Martin a 6-4, 6-1 defeat.

"Kayla probably played the best I've seen for a while at No. 1 singles (for Jay County). ... She was hitting some angle shots. She was moving today ... definitely the best she has all year.

"She just kind of ran out of gas. (Rhoades) is very good. ... She's very level-headed, didn't get shook when Kayla got up. ... She just stayed settled down and worked her way back in."

At No. 2 doubles, the Patriots eked out a first-set victory on a Danielle Chenoweth winner down the left side. But she and teammate Ashley Caupp stumbled in the next two sets on the way to a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 loss.

Brittany White, playing at No. 3 singles for the first time this season, pushed Kylie Graham of the Eagles in both sets only to fall short. She dropped the final three games of the opening set and then lost the second in a tiebreaker as she suffered a 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) defeat.

And at No. 2 singles, Alyssa Rigby suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against Kaylie Ritenour.

"I feel pretty good," said Adams, whose team is 4-3. "We really have some positives to build on."

Junior varsity

Three of the Patriots' victories came in doubles matches as the team fell to a 6-4 loss to Frankton.

Joni Degler turned in the lone singles win at the No. 1 spot, rallying from a first-set loss for a 1-4, 5-3 (10-6) victory.

Chelsea Kimmel and Jessica Ooten rolled to a 4-2, 4-1 win over Ashley Keys and Emily Swigeart at No. 1 doubles.

The other doubles wins for Jay County came at No. 3 doubles from Lissa Simms and Jeannette Thomas 4-3, 4-1 and No. 4 doubles from Melinda Penrod and Kyla McKibben 4-2, 5-3.[[In-content Ad]]