Balers top Acorns in 6-1 tennis win
Phoebe Bachofer extended her unbeaten match streak to nine games
as the San Benito Haybalers cruised past the Live Oak Acorns 6-1 in
Morgan Hill Tuesday afternoon.
Balers top Acorns in 6-1 tennis win
Phoebe Bachofer extended her unbeaten match streak to nine games as the San Benito Haybalers cruised past the Live Oak Acorns 6-1 in Morgan Hill Tuesday afternoon.
The Haybalers improved its Tri County Athletic League record to 4-2 and kept pace with the league-leading Notre Dame Spirits and the second-place Salinas Cowboys. The Spirits are 6-0 while the Salinas Cowboys improved to 5-1 with a 6-1 win over the Gilroy Mustangs Tuesday.
Phoebe Bachofer, the Haybalers phenomenal No. 1 player, used her impressive forehand to quick work of Mallorie Stevens 6-0, 6-2 and her teammates followed suit.
San Benito’s Elena Briber dispatched Rebecca Dayton 6-2, 6-1 while doubles partners Becky Bonner and Mary Beth Miller beat Acorns Heather Phan and Quenna
Deschere 6-3, 6-3.
The rebuilding Acorns dropped to a dismal 0-6 in league.
“We’re not doing good,” said Acorns Coach Ignacio Herrera, who is in his first year. “It’s interesting to me because in a number of games they jump ahead, and then they kind of give up and the other team wins. It’s frustrating.”
After Bachofer’s final forehand sizzled past Stevens’ outstretched tennis racket, in business-like fashion she thanked her opponent, thanked the coaches, chatted with some teammates, packed her bags and left.
“That’s how I want our team to approach these games. Get in and get out”
Herrera said. “I want them to develop that killer instinct. To learn when you
have someone down to keep them down. It’s too much of a social thing.”
The No. 1 doubles match between San Benito’s Nicole Conley and Allison
Filice versus Live Oak’s Christina Alosi and Melissa Baker was the perfect
example.
In the first of their three sets, Alosi and Baker roared out of the gate. The final point of the first set came after Alosi, playing the back line, tracked down a Conley cross-court shot and returned it just inside the out-of-bounds line.
Alosi and Baker celebrated their 6-2 win by tapping their rackets together and things were looking up. The Acorns duo even jumped out to a one game lead in the second set before the roof caved in. Conley and Filice’s shots were suddenly finding open spaces on the court while Alosi and Baker’s found the net.
Conley and Filice eventually won the next two matches 6-3, 6-3 to close out the three set victory. The only win of the day for the Acorns came when Loren Nemeth fought off San Benito’s Danielle Patino in three games 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
“The girls stayed positive and have been really working on attacking the net and being more aggressive,” said Haybalers Coach Ed Cecena, also in his first year. ” Even though we lost to Notre Dame, I’m impressed with their enthusiasm. They are out there enjoying themselves.”
Cecena said his goal this year is to teach the veterans on the team the intricacies of the sport and to focus on fundamentals with the younger players.
“I’ll show the older kids how to stay match tough and to think through matches and not just hit the ball,” said Cecena. “Every match is important. The No. 3 doubles have to be just as consistent as the No. 2 singles player
is.”
Notre Dame is a good example of that Cecena pointed out.
“They don’t have one dominant player, just a bunch of good, steady ones and
that’s what you want to achieve,” Cecena said.
Today at 3:30 the Haybalers host the Gilroy Mustangs at the Ridgemark Tennis Club and the Acorns travel to North Salinas to battle the Vikings.
