HALLOWELL — Hall-Dale’s top two singles players, Andy Peterson and Malcolm Avore, have been the biggest reasons the Bulldogs maintained their status as one of the top tennis teams in the Mountain Valley Conference this season. So it stands to reason the same duo would lead the charge as the Bulldogs try to return to the regional finals.
With the help of Jacob Crockett in the third singles spot, Peterson and Avore led No. 3 Hall-Dale to a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Winthrop in the Class C South boys tennis quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Bulldogs (12-1) will face No. 2 St. Dominic in the semifinals in Auburn Friday at 4:30 p.m. Winthrop ends its season at 7-6.
Peterson, a senior, learned early in his match with Anthony Owens, the Ramblers’ No. 1, that the teams were deadlocked at 2-2 after Alec Brown and Beau Brooks pulled the Ramblers even in their doubles match. He pulled away late in each set to defeat Owens, 6-3, 6-2.
“He was able to do a lot at the net,” Peterson said. “I could hit passing shots, though. That was pretty much what I was going for there. He was pretty aggressive.”
Avore, a junior whose unbeaten MVC record this year included a win over his opponent, Bryce Claypool, dominated the first set of the No. 2 singles match and cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win.
“I tried to stick with the same play style from the last time and it worked (Thursday),” said Avore, who was a doubles player when the Bulldogs reached the regional final last year.
“They’re both excellent players,” Hall-Dale coach Dan Bence said of his top two singles. “Jacob Crockett also played very well (Thursday).”
Crockett, a senior, rallied down early and then held off Brogan Plossay, 6-4, in the first set before clinching the match, 6-2, in the second.
Winthrop’s doubles swept their matches. The first doubles duo of Garrett Tsouprake and Jared McLaughlin handled Alex Guiou and Isaac Lawrence, 6-3, 6-1. Alec Brown and Beau Brooks outlasted Ean Smith and MacKenzie Creamer in the only three-set match of the day, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
“I’m proud of the kids in terms of making it competitive and having a chance in the last match,” said Winthrop coach Todd MacArthur, whose team lost to the Bulldogs, 3-1, in their rain-shortened MVC meeting during the regular season. “It’s always nice to put your senior out there and put it on his shoulders. He just faced a competitor that was probably more skilled and more talented than him.”
“With Winthrop winning both of the doubles, it was really important for us to win all three singles, obviously,” Bence said. “Fortunately, those singles players came through. Those kids are new to playing doubles this year and they’re new to each other as a team, so they’re still learning how to work together as a team, and they’ve made really great strides. Unfortunately, half of our No. 1 doubles team (Neil Stottler) was in a car accident a couple of weeks ago and is still recovering from that.”
The Bulldogs faced St. Dom’s once during the regular season and lost, 3-2, on May 18 in Hallowell.
“Last time, Andy and I won,” Avore said. “We just need to find that extra point somewhere.”
Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638
rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @RAWmaterial33
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