Mississinewa knocks out Jay Co. (05/16/08)

FAIRMOUNT - Some Patriots will continue to play. But for the first time this century the team did not make it past the first day of the tournament.

Jay County High School's girls tennis team dropped out of the Marion sectional - played at Madison-Grant Thursday because of weather - with a 4-1 loss to the Mississinewa Indians. The No. 1 doubles duo of Tiffani Bickel and Cindy Muhlenkamp picked up the lone win and will continue on in the doubles tournament.

The Patriots had reached the championship match at Marion seven consecutive times before falling in the semifinal round last season to the host Giants. They closed the season losing nine of their last 10 matches.

Muhlenkamp and Bickel split the first two sets with Danielle Smith and Darcy Cunningham, but dominated when the match was on the line. After losing the first game of the deciding third set, the Patriot pair won six in a row to close out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 triumph.

The only other match in which the Patriots managed to win a game was at No. 2 doubles. Megan Huntsman and Briann Saxman had a chance in both sets, trailing 4-3 in the first and leading 4-3 in the second. But they lost two in a row to drop the first set and three in a row in the second for a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Abby Goodpaster and Kristie Oke.

Megan Adams (No. 1 singles), Betsy Knittle (No. 2 singles) and Hannah McAbee (No. 3 singles) all fell 6-0, 6-0 to Cassie Fleming, Kristin Cassidy and Emily Shepherd respectively.

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