THS tennis goes 2-4 at Kirksville Tournament, with sweep of rival Hornets

The Trenton High School boys tennis team spent both Thursday and Friday at the Kirksville Tournament, participating in doubles competition on Thursday, with singles play on Friday.  On both days, the Bulldogs lost head-to-head duels with the Grain Valley Eagles and host Kirksville Tigers, but swept matches against the rival Chillicothe Hornets.

Highlights of the tournament for the Bulldogs included a rally from 0-6 down by Nick Shields and Jacob Davis, against the Chillicothe tandem of Anderson and Henington, with the Trenton team ripping off eight games in a row for a dramatic victory.  On Friday, Wyatt Neal trailed his singles match against Larson of Chillicothe by a 2-7 mark, before going on a seven game run to win 9-7.

On Thursday, Trenton went 1-2 against Grain Valley, with Shields and Davis claiming an 8-5 win over Frye and Schnurr, while the Bulldogs two other entries (Ockenfels/Houghton and Neal/Swann) lost by identical 1-8 finals.

Against Kirksville, the Trenton doubles teams were very competitive, but failed to get in the win column.  Ockenfels and Houghton came closest, falling 7-9 (to Johnson and Hendler).  Shields and Davis fell 5-8, while Neal and Swann were dumped by a 2-8 final score.

Trenton swept Chillicothe in doubles play 3-0, with Shields/Davis beating Anderson/Henington 8-6, Ockenfels/Houghton over Rosenbach/Malloy 8-5, and Neal/Swann beating Larson/Winfrey 8-3.

In Friday’s singles play, Trenton was swept by Grain Valley 6-0.  Houghton came closest to a “W”, falling 7-9 to Hoagland.  Three Bulldogs lost by 2-8 finals (Shields, Davis, and Swann).  Ockenfels was doubled up by Campbell 4-8, while Neal was swept away by Schnurr love-8.

Kirksville won the best of the Bulldogs in match #2, 4-2.  Ockenfels picked up a Trenton win, beating Johnson 8-1, while Swann doubled up Fraser for an 8-4 triumph for THS.  Shields and Neal lost 2-8, Houghton 6-8, and Davis lost an 8-9 final, with 5-7 tiebreak score, against Kirksville’s Hoshaw.

Just as in doubles play 24 hours earlier, the Bulldogs swept Chillicothe 6 matches to zero in Friday afternoon’s singles play.  Swann won by forfeit for the Bulldogs, while Shields swept Anderson 8-love, Davis downed Henington 8-3, Ockenfels rolled past Rosenbach 8-1, Neal slipped by Larson 9-7, and Houghton grabbed a win over Winfrey 8-3.

The Bulldogs return to regular season action this (Tuesday) afternoon, playing at Chillicothe, against the Hornets, at 4 o’clock.