UP tennis scores win over Raiders
Sep. 29—Union Pines' tennis team won the top two singles matches of Tuesday's showdown with Richmond County without breaking a sweat. However, the rest of the match was a different story, as the Lady Vikings had to hold off the Lady Raiders to earn a 6-3 victory.
Uncommonly for Sandhills Athletic Conference matches not involving Pinecrest, Union Pines (9-1. 8-1 SAC) found itself having to win the doubles in order to take the team victory. Richmond trailed just 4-2 after the singles thanks to two narrow victories in the Nos. 4 and 6 singles matches. The Lady Vikings won the top two doubles matches to clinch it.
In the singles, top-seed Tyne Ross shut out her Lady Raider opponent Hanna Oki 8-0, and No. 2 Lily Slyman similarly blanked Neely Turner. Union Pines also had a fairly easy win at No. 3, where Abby Robertson downed Addison Massey 8-3, but then it got interesting.
At the No. 4 singles, the Lady Raiders' Hannah Smith carried the match to an extra game and outlasted Madelyn Ragsdale 9-7 to put the visitors on the board. By this time, No. 5 seed Kinsley Creel had already beaten Richmond's Maren Carter 8-2, but there would be no team win for Union Pines in the singles. At the bottom of the order, Richmond's Ashlyn Bouldin had held off Saeda Yoxtheimer 8-6 to make it 4-2.
Ross and Slyman predictably took care of business in the No. 1 doubles match, beating Oki and Turner 8-3, and Union Pines had the win. However, Boudin and Savannah Jordan of Richmond scored a strong 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles over Creel and Yoxtheimer. The No. 2 doubles was a barnburner than went to a tiebreaker before the Lady Vikings' Robertson and Ragsdale beat Massey and Smith 9-8 (7-4).
Ross who won her 58th career match during the evening. Union Pines travels to Hoke County today.
