The Trenton Bulldogs, more than halfway through their Class 1 state sectional on Thursday morning against Bishop LeBlond, trailed the MEC’s Golden Eagles 4-2, putting Trenton in the unenviable position of needing three victories in three consecutive matches to extend tennis season into the state quarterfinals.
Playing on their home court, Trenton accomplished that very goal, with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 rally by #1 singles player Nick Shields clinching a 5-4 win for the Bulldogs. Shields’ victory came against John Lierz of LeBlond, with a double fault by the LeBlond player ending the match, and the dual, setting off a Bulldog celebration. At #3 singles, Kade Ockenfels was part of Trenton’s late rally, with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 win over Davis of LeBlond cutting the Eagles lead to 4-3. At #2 singles, Jacob Davis of Trenton tied the dual at 4 with a straight sets victory (6-2, 7-6 (7-4)) over Sommers.
Gabe Swann of Trenton, playing at #6 singles, picked up a straight-set win over C. Lombardino, 6-4, 6-1. The Golden Eagles won 2 of the 6 singles matches played, with Burns (#4) beating Wyatt Neal 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; while G. Lombardino, at #5 singles, downing Creed Houghton 6-love, 6-2.
The dual started with the teams splitting doubles matches, as LeBlond’s Lombardino’s beat Neal and Swann of the Bulldogs, 8-4, while Trenton’s duo of Ockenfels and Houghton beat Davis and Burns 8-2. In the final doubles match, LeBlond’s Alhamzami and Summers beat Shields and Davis 8-6, giving the District 16 champions a 2-1 advantage heading into singles play.
The win improved Trenton’s record to 12-4 on the season, with the Bulldog boy’s tennis program becoming the third Bulldog program to reach the state quarterfinals in the 2016-2017 school year, joining the Lady Bulldog basketball and softball teams.
Unfortunately for Trenton, the Bulldogs had to settle for just the state quarterfinals, instead of a trip to the Final Four, as the Raiders from Pembroke Hill High School dominated Thursday’s tennis action, shutting out the Marshall Owls 5-0 in the sectional round, then coming back against the host Bulldogs and cruising to another 5-0 win, improving to 11-1 on the season, while ending Trenton’s campaign at 12-5.
At #1 doubles, Trenton’s duo of Shields and Davis managed two points against Bortnick and Turtledove of Pembroke Hill, falling 8-2. Ockenfels and Houghton (vs. Kincaid and Stevens) and Neal and Swann (vs. Gernon and Thornton) both lost by 8-love finals.
At #4 singles, Stevens of Pembroke Hill swept Wyatt Neal of Trenton 6-love, 6-love, while at #6 singles, Gabe Swann of Trenton lost to Thornton of the Raiders, 6-love, 6-1.
