BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PIKEVILLE — The Martin County High School boys and girls tennis teams both dropped narrow 3-2 decisions to Pike County, April 14 in Pikeville.
The boys split singles play but could not recover in doubles, falling just short in the team score.
Chase Hinkle and Jerrod Haney each earned singles victories for Martin County with matching 6-2 wins at the two and three seeds.
Bryson Dials battled in the No. 1 singles spot but fell 8-4.
Darrian Jewell and Caden Mann lost 6-0.
In doubles action, Martin County was unable to secure a win. The duo of Shawn Marcum and Corey Endicott fell 8-4. Mann and Bentlee Bowman and the team of Bailey Crum and Braiden Chapman were both defeated 6-0. Haney and Hinkle also dropped a 6-1 decision.
The Lady Cardinals also came up short in a 3-2 loss.
Chloe May faced the second-ranked player in the 15th Region and fell 8-4. Haruka Kaibori dropped a 6-1 match against the region’s No. 3 player. Adalynn Maynard lost in straight sets.
Martin County found success in doubles, highlighted by a strong 8-1 win from the No. 3 team of May and Kaibori.
Bella Marcum and Addison Kerr battled in a tight match before falling 9-8 (7-4), but bounced back with a 4-1 win in additional doubles play.
Martin County will play in the Pikeville Invitational Tournament this weekend. The Cards will host Magoffin County on April 28 at Warfield Park.