Logan, Twin Lakes advance

by Beau Wicker
Pharos-Tribune sports editor

May 17, 2008 12:18 am

— The Logansport Berries cleared one big hurdle in pursuit of their third straight sectional title on Friday with a win over Lewis Cass. They have one more in the form of the Twin Lakes Indians today for the sectional championship.
Logan ousted Cass 4-1 and Twin Lakes eliminated Delphi 4-1 to set today’s 9 a.m. sectional final.
The Berries improved to 14-3 with the win and ended the Kings’ season at 9-4.
“We had a great season,” said Cass coach Stu Angle, whose squad won the Mid-Indiana Conference title this season. “We played well here tonight. Both doubles teams stepped it up a little bit in that second set and were close to pushing it over to force a third set against two really good doubles teams of Logansport.
“This is not disappointing at all. We’ve come a long way in one year and I’m very proud of our effort tonight.”
At No. 1 singles, Logan’s Megan Whitcomb topped Tiffany Skarda 6-1, 6-3 and at No. 2 singles, Logan’s Lauren Zehner defeated Emily Gray 6-1, 6-2.
Logan swept wins in doubles play. Lindsay Rich and Ryane James knocked off Kirsten Sailors and Alisha Allison 6-4, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles and Rachel Geer and Megan Rozzi defeated Shaela Taylor and Molly Winters 6-0, 6-6 (7-5) at No. 2 doubles.
Cass’ lone point of the day came at No. 3 singles where Alysa Luching defeated Maggie Brown 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Angle commended Luching’s play and added, “It would have been really nice if both doubles teams would have been in that third set too... Just a couple shots here and there and maybe we’re in that third set, but Logansport’s doubles teams are very strong. Up and down their lineup, every position is good.”
“We were competitive at all positions,” the Cass coach added. “The score didn’t say so at (No. 1 and No. 2) singles, but you just can’t fault the effort. They came in here wanting to put on the best play they could and for today we did the best we could.”
Twin Lakes defeated Delphi 4-1. The Oracles’ lone point of the day was at No. 1 doubles where Katie Mullen and Ali Canen defeated Janelle Hicks and Briana Roach 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. With the win, Mullen and Canen advance to next week’s Peru Individual Sectional.
Canen said the duo’s win against Twin Lakes was keyed by four straight points scored at the end of the second set to force the third set.
“I think we were both really nervous,” Mullen added about playing in the sectional, “but we worked together and pulled through.”
Twin Lakes won at the other four spots. At No. 1 singles, Kylie Windler topped Haley Richardson 6-3, 7-5. At No. 2 singles, Betsy Adams defeated Morgan McCauslin 6-1, 6-1. And at No. 3 singles, Jessica Collins downed Irina Hariri 6-3, 7-5.
At No. 2 doubles, Megan Leverenz and Lauren Crabb knocked off Amber Caputo and Grace Mears 6-4, 6-4.
Twin Lakes is 7-5 entering the sectional final while Delphi’s season ends at 4-10.
Logan coach Matt Tuggle said the Berries and the Indians know each other well on the tennis courts, especially at No. 1 singles where Whitcomb and Windler have met nine times in their varsity career, with Whitcomb winning eight of those decisions.
“Most of the time it’s been long matches,” Tuggle said. “Almost every time they’ve played it’s been two-and-a-half, three hour-type matches. Even when they were middle school age, playing in some tournament, it was that exact-type match.”
Twin Lakes’ No. 2 singles player, Adams, is an Indiana All-Star girls basketball player and a Valparaiso University basketball recruit.
“I expect Kylie to play well and I expect Betsy to play well at (No 2 singles),” Tuggle said. “I think we could have a couple good matches there because I know those girls are pretty athletic and are pretty experienced athletes.”
Tuggle added his squad is confident after dropping just one point in its first two matches of the sectional.
“I think we feel confident in ourselves with the way we’re playing, and we just have to come out tomorrow and do it,” Tuggle said.

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