Saints Drop Another Nailbiter to Cowley
After battling to a 5-4 decision just five days prior at Blue Bonnet Park in Liberal, the #4 Seward County Saints and #7 Cowley Tigers hooked up once again on Saturday in the 3rd place match of the Seminole State Dual Match Classic in Oklahoma City. Like Monday's one point Cowley win, the Tigers took another 5-4 battle with the Saints Saturday to hand Seward its fourth loss in its past five matches after a 12-0 start.
Surprisingly, the first results of the match were quite different than they were just five days before when Seward and Cowley hooked up. The Tigers again grabbed the point at #1 doubles with an 8-3 win but at #2 in a repeat matchup from Monday that Cowley won 8-5, it was the Saints duo of Carlos Anez and Ondrej Nice turning the tables for a shocking 8-1 win to even the match at 1-1. The result at #3 was different as well as after Seward took the final three games to win 8-5 Monday, Saturday it was the Tigers picking up a 9-7 win which along with two other spots, ended up being the difference in the match.
In a heavyweight matchup at #1, Seward's Carlos Anez took on 11th ranked Vincent Reynaud. Reynaud took the first set 6-3, but Anez answered with a 7-5 victory to send the match to a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Anez outlasted Reynaud 10-8 for the upset win to even the match at 2. At #2 Przemek Zielinski again struggled, losing in straight sets for his fourth straight defeat in singles play. Alex Mosehle took the court for Seward at #3 and lost a heartbreaking 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 tiebreaker to Jose Castro to put Cowley back in control. Felipe Casares got Seward a big point at #4, up two spots from where he lost on Monday to the Tigers, knocking off 18th ranked Lukas Michenka rather easily 6-3, 6-2 to once again get the Saints back to within one. Ngoni Makambwa kept the Saints hopes alive with a 6-3, 6-2 win at #5, but Seward wasn't able to come through at #6 singles once again, as Tare Mariga was forced to retire due to an injury to give the Tigers the match 5-4.
The loss puts the Saints in 4th place in the tournament. Seward falls to 13-4 on the year with the loss to the Tigers. Seward has now lost four of their last five matches after beginning the season 12-0.
Seward will have the week off before hitting the road and the courts once again next weekend when they travel to Wichita Falls, Texas to take on Midwestern State and Cameron in duals Friday and Saturday.