Lady Titans Achieve a Program First at State
After winning their fourth consecutive 12th Region tournament, the Lady Titans achieved another first for the womens tennis program as both of Mercer’s doubles teams advanced to the second round of the state tournament last week.
In the first round of play, Mercer’s Savanna Barnett lost to the tournaments three seed, Madie Cook, from Notre Dame Academy in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles play, 12th Region doubles champions Alli Grant and Caitlin Baer defeated Morgan County’s Allie Gregory and Monika McCowan in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
12th Region doubles runners up, Lee Baxter and Lauren Yates followed their teammates lead as they defeated Annie Talley and Maggie Wetzel, from Caldwell County in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.
In the second round of doubles play, Mercer faced much stiffer competition as they faced the tournaments eight and four seed.
Baxter and Yates took on the tournaments eight seed in Alex Billups and Leslie Stringer out of Rose Hill. Billups and Stringer took the first set by a score of 6-2. Yates and Baxter showed they weren’t about to let their high school carriers end without a fight as they managed four points in the second set before being eliminated from the tournament, losing 6-4.
Grant and Baer also faced tough competition in the second round as they faced Kelsey Hensley and Adrea Wise, the tournaments four seeded doubles team, out of Russell County.
Baer and Grant showed fight in the opening set as they fought off the four seeded doubles team through 10 games before dropping the first set 6-4. Keeping pace with Wise and Hensley in the first round seemed to catch up with Mercer in the second set as they fell behind quickly and never managed to recover as Russell went on to win the second set and match, 6-1.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to coach this group of girls,” said Mercer head coach Diane Beauchamp. “We had a remarkable season winning our fourth straight regional title and continued to have success in the state tournament.”
For more sports photos looks us up on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Harrodsburg-Herald/
