Greencastle opens season with win over South Putnam

Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Greencastle's No. 2 singles player Harriet Watson returns a shot during Tuesday's season-opener against South Putnam.

South Putnam hosted Greencastle Tuesday in the opener for the girls' tennis season, with Greencastle coming away with a 3-2 victory. The teams faced off in blustery conditions, with wind whipping the scorecards around as if Mother Nature was playing a game all her own.

Greencastle picked up wins at No. 2 singles as Harriet Watson defeated Jade Asher 6-3 and 6-3. Her teammate Kayla Chadd defeated South Putnam's Emily Clark in straight sets 6-1 and 6-1.

"I'm very proud of Harriet. I'm very proud of Kayla Chadd, her first time to move into singles competitively. She did a good job," GHS head coach Sally Martin said.

The Tiger Cubs also won at No. 2 doubles as Annalyse Mason and Sabrina Arnold teamed up to defeat South Putnam's Kassie Rains and Cierra Brown 6-0 and 6-3.

"The No. 2 doubles did exceptional. They did better than my expectations. I thought they were capable of winning, but better than what I had planned for them," Martin said.

South Putnam's No. 1 doubles team of Madison Cash and Caitlin Boyce held off a charging GHS team comprised of Carlie Harlan and Bailey Brewer to win 6-2 and 6-4.

"It was great for them." South Putnam head coach Johnnie Briones said. "I think those two were No. 2 last year and improved from the year before. I'd like to see them be a little more aggressive at the net, but again it's always good when you can start with a win.

"With Greencastle, they're always going to be competitive. Sally Martin does a great job with them year in and year out and to come away with a couple of wins, I'm very excited," he said.

South Putnam's Ericka Minor and Greencastle's Haylie Romer faced off in an epic battle at No. 1 singles. It took three sets to decide the winner, with the decision going in favor of Minor.

Minor came from behind to win the first set 7-5 and did the same in the third set. With Romer leading 4-2, Minor went on a run and overtook Romer to win 6-4.

"It was a great day," Briones said. "It was great to see Ericka start the season that way being her senior season. This is her fourth year with tennis and to come back the way she did in that first set was really impressive and I couldn't be more proud of her.

"In the past she would have fallen apart, but her maturity is showing through and just really proud of her and the way she came back," he added.

Martin said Romer and the No. 1 doubles team of Harlan and Brewer didn't play up their abilities and acknowledged that the players knew they hadn't played their best on the night.

At South Putnam

Greencastle 3, South Putnam 2

Singles

No 1: Minor (SP) def. Romer (GHS) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

No. 2: Watson (GHS) def. Asher (SP) 6-3, 6-3

No. 3: Chadd (GHS) def. Clark (SP) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1: Cash/Boyce (SP) def. Harlan/Brewer (GHS) 6-2, 6-4

No. 2: Mason/Arnold (GHS) def. Rains/Brown (SP) 6-0, 6-3