Jays win second straight

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After a tight 5-4 win over Williston on Friday, the Blue Jays girls tennis team was back at it on Saturday and doubles did it again.

Sarah Muhs and Kara Fix topped Dickinson’s Brooke Lietzke and Lindsey Bakken 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, while Erin Mullowney and Jenna Reed teamed up at No. 2 doubles to down Sydney Smutzler and Alex Simonieg 6-2, 6-4 to clinch Jamestown High School’s 6-3 West Region win Saturday in Dickinson.

“I thought it was a great effort by the kids,” JHS coach Pat Mullowney said. “They were starting to get a little mentally and physically tired with the long weekend. They dug down and played a solid match against Dickinson. There were some hard-fought matches, and we were able to pull through in most of the close ones.”

Erin Mullowney’s doubles win capped a thrilling day, as she also beat Simonieg 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) at No. 3 singles.

At No. 1 singles, Muhs’ 6-3, 6-1 win over Lietzke helped set the tone for the match. Fix cruised in her first set over Smutzler en route to a 6-0, 6-4 win, while Bailey Graves put the Jays in prime spot by edging Meryl Kovacs 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 at No. 6 singles.

“They were working hard as a team to pull Erin and Bailey through, so we could get that 4-2 lead after singles,” Pat Mullowney said. “Bailey was down 3-4 in the tiebreaker and won it 7-5. That was definitely a turning point. You could tell momentum was with her and carried into the second set.”

Reed (No. 4) and Anna Larson (No. 5) both fell in straight sets in singles play. Larson and Graves lost at No. 3 doubles 2-6, 6-1, 1-6.

“No. 3 doubles is still kind of feeling their way through it,” Mullowney said. “We’re trying some different combinations.”

The Jays host Mandan at 4 p.m. today.

Jamestown 6, Dickinson 3

Singles

1, Sarah Muhs, J, def. Brooke Lietzke, 6-3, 6-1.

2, Kara Fix, J, def. Sydney Smutzler, 6-0, 6-4.

3, Erin Mullowney, J, def. Alex Simonieg, 6-4, 7-5 (7-3).

4, Lindsey Bakken, D, def. Jenna Reed, 6-2, 6-1.

5, Mariah Jorda, D, def. Anna Larson, 6-2, 6-1.

6, Bailey Graves, J, def. Meryl Kovacs, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Doubles

1, Muhs/Fix, J, def. Lietzke/Bakken, 6-3, 6-4.

2, Mullowney/Reed, J, def. Smutzler/Simonieg, 6-2, 6-4.

3, Jorda/Kovacs, D, def. Larson/Graves, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

Sun sports writer Chris Aarhus can be reached at (701) 952-8462 or by e-mail at caarhus@jamestownsun.com

Tags: jays, sports, tennis, prep