ALEXANDRIA -- The Bemidji High School boys tennis team saw its nine-match losing streak ended at the hands of Alexandria on Thursday. The Lumberjacks battled to a narrow 4-3 defeat.
Filippo Buffo opened the match with a win at No. 1 singles before another straight-sets victory from John McNallan and Casey Rupp gave BHS a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals registered their first win at No. 3 singles, but Noah Johnson regained a 3-1 lead for the Jacks with a tiebreak win at No. 2 singles to take the match 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).
Hard-fought, three-set victories at Nos. 3 and 1 doubles leveled the score at 3-all for Alexandria.
The deciding match, at No. 4 singles, also required three sets. Owen Gilbertson clinched the win for the Cardinals by taking the final two sets after a tiebreak loss in the first set.
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The loss drops Bemidji to 10-3 on the season and puts Alexandria in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the Section 8AA playoffs.
The Lumberjacks will look to bounce back when they host a triangular on Monday, May 17. They’ll meet St. Cloud Apollo/Sauk Rapids-Rice at 1 p.m. and Grand Rapids at 6 p.m.
Alexandria 4, Bemidji 3
Singles
No. 1: Buffo (BHS) def. Partington 6-3, 6-1
No. 2: Johnson (BHS) def. Schabel 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
No. 3: Jost (ALX) def. Cerven 6-2, 6-3
No. 4: Gilbertson (ALX) def. Fuhrman 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 7-5
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Doubles
No. 1: Lueck/Mulder (ALX) def. 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
No. 2: Jo. McNallan/Rupp (BHS) def. Wegner/Nelson (ALX) 6-1, 6-2
No. 3: Jabas/Parker (ALX) def. Harris/Ja. McNallan 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
