The Trenton Bulldogs lost a close, hotly-contested tennis dual on Monday afternoon, falling to the host Kirksville Tigers in head-to-head competition, 5-4, dropping the Bulldogs record to 5-1, and improving the Tigers to 8-2.
The two squads split six singles matches, with each team taking three victories. For Trenton, Gabe Swann won at #2 singles (over Garrett Johnson) 8-2, Jeremy Elliott took his #5 singles match over Noah Walker 8-2, and Isaac Harris was victorious at #6 singles opposite Domenic Terrell 8-6. Kirksville’s response cam from Bennett Hoshaw at #1 singles, 9-7 over Kade Ockenfels, James Hendler at #3 singles, by an 8-5 final score against Creed Houghton, and from Charles Fraser at #4 singles, by 8-3 final over Wyatt Neal.
The match tipped the Tigers direction with a 2-1 edge in doubles. At #3 doubles, Trenton’s team of Swann and Neal doubled up Walker and Terrell 8-4, but Kirksville’s Hoshaw and Hendler won at #1 doubles (8-5 over Ockenfels and Houghton), while Johnson and Fraser scraped by Shield and Harris at #2 doubles, 8-6.
Trenton’s JV struggled at Kirksville, falling in all four doubles matches contested in the afternoon session.
Trenton gets another shot at Kirksville, hosting the Tigers next week.
After traveling east to Kirksville on Monday, the Trenton tennis team went the other direction to St. Joseph on Tuesday, sweeping the Lafayette Irish in a dual shortened by lack of numbers for the “North Siders”.
In singles play, Trenton’s wins came from Gabe Swann (8-1 over Jonnathan Taylor), Wyatt Neal (8-1 over Casey Davis), Jeremy Ellliott (8-1 over Riley Hamm), and Isaac Harris (8-love over Ethan Lowe). The #5 and #6 singles matches went to the Bulldogs by forfeit. In doubles, Ockenfels and Houghton beat Taylor and Davis, 8-5, while Shields and Harris swept Hamm and Lowe 8-love.
The victory improves Trenton to 6-1, while dropping Lafayette to 0-10.
