Kokomo edges Cass 3-2 at tennis regional

Kokomo turned back Lewis Cass 3-2 in the Harrison girls tennis regional’s semifinal round Tuesday.

No. 1 singles player Raigan Heflin gave the Kats a quick point with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Kokomo’s other points came in the form of a doubles sweep. Averie Stiner and Izzy Barker won 6-2, 7-5 at No. 1 and Olivia Downing and Sydney Colescott prevailed 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 2 for the decisive third point.

For Cass, Guadalupe Gonzalez won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 singles and Eliana Cicalo won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

“The girls played well, just like they did all season,” Cass coach Matt Hurst said. “They, they fought and they gave it their all.”

Singles play has been the Kings’ (12-4) strongsuit all season. Katie Hurst took just her third loss of the season at No. 1 singles.

Coach Hurst knew Kokomo was extra strong at No. 1 singles. He was hoping either the No. 1 doubles team of Kennedy McLaughlin and Maryn Zeck or the No. 2 doubles team of Ruby Villanueva and Mia Hall could prevail, but they both fell in competitive matches.

“We were hoping to take 2 and 3 singles and then pick up one of the doubles,” he said. “Our 2 doubles went to the third set and lost in third set. So that was a last match on was the 2 doubles.

“It was a really close match. It was a good match. The girls played well.”

Gonzalez and Cicalo each finished 17-0 on the season at Nos. 2 and 3 singles.

“We’ve had good seasons, but probably not undefeated, but we were strong in singles,” coach Hurst said. “So we pretty much thought we’d pick up 2 and 3 at least most matches with our depth.”

The Kings went 12-4 and could have probably have had an even better record if not for sitting Katie Hurst out at No. 1 singles for the last few matches.

“She’s been dealing with lower back pain for a while,” coach Hurst said. “So she played a lot of matches where she probably shouldn’t have and I didn’t take her out. And she wanted to play, so I let her, and then we decided at the end, well I decided at the end, that she needed to rest for sectional. We wanted to make sure we made it through that.”

SOFTBALL

OH 2, CASS 1, 9 INN.

Oak Hill beat Cass in walk-off fashion in the opening round of the Class 2A Oak Hill Sectional. The game was knotted at 1-1 through regulation and the first extra inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Oak Hill bunted with two runners on base and when the throw to third went high for an error, a Golden Eagle runner scampered home with the winning run.

Kami Silcox had two hits and scored Cass’ run.

Amma Fitzhugh threw all nine for the Kings with six hits, no earned runs and eight strikeouts.

Cass ends its season 8-14. Oak Hill improved to 20-6.

BOYS GOLF

LOGAN 155, TWIN LAKES 156, ROCHESTER 165, WINAMAC 195

Logansport won a sectional preview match at Dykeman Park Tuesday.

Louis Rozzi led the Berries with a 38, followed by Graham Taylor (38), Eli Baldwin (39) and Logan Lange (41).

TL’s Leo Dellinger was the medalist with a 1-over 35.