The Pinkerton Academy Astro boys’ tennis team opened its 2014 season with a rather tough, 5-4 loss to the visiting Alvirne High Broncos from Hudson in Derry last Wednesday, April 9.
The match score was all knotted up at 3-3 at the conclusion of singles action thanks to Pinkerton victories in the number three singles spot by Sean Hall (8-3 score), Josh Moser right behind him in the fourth slot (8-1), and Will McCarty at six singles (8-0).
Tyler Busby put forth a good battle at fifth singles for PA but wound up losing an 8-5 decision.
But the visiting Broncos nabbed the match win by taking first and second doubles despite a fine fight put forth by the duo of Moser and Hall, which dropped an 8-6 decision at second doubles. Arlo Wetherbee and Busby worked together to snag an 8-6 victory at third doubles.
“I feel like we could have played better, but I was happy with the effort for our first match out,” said Astros second-year coach Brian Hashem.
The Astro guys then had their scheduled road match against the Keene High Blackbirds cancelled by rain last Friday, April 11, and their next match was a home battle with the Salem High Blue Devils in Derry this past Monday.
But the Astro guys faced the same 5-4 outcome as they had in their season-opener against Alvirne in the match with the Salem crew.
Singles went tremendously well for the Astros, who received victories from their third through sixth singles players.
Jack Bisson and Arlo Wetherbee fought hard but dropped decisions in the first and second singles contests, but Sean Hall (8-0), Josh Moser (8-2), Tyler Busby (8-2), and Will McCarty (8-6) all won to hand their Astros a 4-2 advantage rolling into doubles play.
However, 1-1 Salem swept all three doubles battles to collect the 5-4 match victory despite determined work from the PA doubles tandems of Bisson and Hall, Moser and Wetherbee, and Busby and Tate Pinyochon.
