San Benito narrowly defeats Carmel 4-3 Friday, hosts Watsonville
Tuesday
CARMEL
San Benito’s No. 2 doubles team of Rachel Smith and Lauren Ademek won a close third-set tiebreaker on Friday to help the Lady ‘Balers eek out a narrow 4-3 victory at Carmel, and rebound from a loss earlier in the week to Aptos.
Battling Carmel’s Lucy Anderle and Lilly Dovenzi, San Benito’s Smith and Ademek went to a third-set tiebreaker that would decide the non-conference match, and edged their Carmel counterparts 6-3, 3-6 (10-8).
San Benito coach Ed Cecena said the tiebreaker was real tense.
“It’s a good win for us,” Cecena said. “We were shorthanded a couple players, so we pulled out a tough win.”
It was also a strong rebound from last week’s loss at Aptos, where the Lady ‘Balers fell for just the second match in as many years.
San Benito was shorthanded, most notably at No. 2 singles where Abbie Woods has played strong already this season, but the team rallied for the road victory, nonetheless.
No. 1 player Amanda Marshall won her match over Gabby Downer 7-5, 6-2, but teammate Hayley Barker fell to Carmel’s Elizabeth Dutt 6-1, 6-2. The latter two singles matches were also split, with No. 3 Chelsea Yoakum upending Julia Modorsky 6-2, 7-5, and Carmel’s Govlia Poletti earning the 6-4, 6-3 win against San Benito’s Vanessa Casalegno.
In doubles, San Benito’s top pairing of Marisa Ibarra and Crystal Perreira defeated Lauren Michaels and Jackie Roberts 4-6, 6-1 (10-2), while Carmel’s No. 3 team of Jacquelyn Varela and Nora Byczkowski beat Lady ‘Balers Jessica Vest and Erin Glasspool 6-3, 7-6.
San Benito (4-1) will host Watsonville Tuesday at the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club at 3:30 p.m.
