During a slump for the 1993 Pittsburgh Pirates, comedic right fielder Andy Van Slyke once cracked the year could have been retitled “the Summer of 4-to-3.”
On the opposite end of the fortune spectrum, when the Orange men’s tennis team has won this year, it’s often boiled down to the final doubles match. On Monday night, the Panthers didn’t get one 5-4 dual match victory.
They got two.
The Panthers completed a suspended match against Durham School of the Arts from March 11, which was suspended with the score tied 3-3 due to darkness at Bulldogs Tennis Courts. Plus, they played its regularly scheduled match against DSA in Hillsborough.
The Panthers swept the three doubles points in the suspended match to win 5-4. In the nightcap, Orange’s #3 doubles team of Carson Condon and Bryson Waters defeated Kieran Rooney and Terrence Rockers 8-4 to secure the final match 5-4.
With the victories, Orange is now 10-4 overall, 4-3 in the Big 7 Conference. Of Orange’s ten victories, seven have been by the final score of 5-4, including both wins over crosstown rival Cedar Ridge.
In the completion of the suspended match, freshman Luke McCrary and senior Zachary Cole teamed to defeat Benjamin Stemmie and Logan Lujan 8-0. The #2 doubles battle was the fourth one of the dual to go beyond regulation. Orange’s Jackson Coleman and Bryson Waters held off Tyler Johnson and Henry Angle 9-7.
With the dual match on the line, Orange sophomore Thomas Foster and Condon defeated Rockers and Isaac Brown 8-3.
In the full length match, Condon won two matches. In addition to his doubles win with Waters, Condon defeated Luke Ingle in singles action.
McCrary, a freshman who qualified for the state swimming championships during the winter, won the #1 singles match over Tyler Johnson 6-0, 6-0.
Orange took four of the six singles matches. Senior Jackson Coleman defeated Rooney 6-4, 6-0. Everette Coleman, at #5 singles, knocked off 6-2, 6-0.
DSA’s Tyler Johnson and Stemmie defeated Cole and McCrary 8-5 in the top doubles match. In #2 doubles, DSA tied the dual match at 5-5 when Lujan and Henry Angle defeated Jackson Coleman and Everette Coleman 8-3.
Orange will celebrate senior night on Wednesday night against J.F. Webb. Senior Zachary Cole, Bryson Waters, Carson Condon and Jackson Coleman will be honored.
