ROCKINGHAM — For the second time this spring, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ tennis team squeezed out a win over Sandhills Athletic Conference opponent Purnell Swett High School.
A day after falling to Scotland High School, the Raiders rebounded with a 5-4 victory over the visiting Rams. Earlier this month, on March 5, Richmond also defeated Purnell Swett by the same score.
Both teams each won three singles matches, and it was the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams for the Raiders that made the difference for the win.
“After splitting the singles matches, we had to regroup in doubles to win the match,” head coach Patrick Hope said. “Karym (Ojeda) and Adam (Morrison) came off the court with a win, and Kevin (Campos) and Bradford (Pittman) clinched it for us in No. 1 doubles.”
In singles competition, Richmond’s No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5 players earned a win. In the top-seeded match, Campos defeated Jaron Cummings for the second time this spring, rolling to a 6-1, 6-1 win. In the first meeting, he won by a tally of 6-1, 6-2.
No. 4 Mason Bailey faced the same opponent as well, and knocked off Josiah Brooks 6-3, 6-3. The other Richmond singles win came from Ojeda, who faced a different Ram, Cale Harris, and bested him 6-2, 6-0.
Purnell Swett’s No. 2 Ben Brooks redeemed himself from an earlier-season loss to Bradford Pittman, beating the sophomore 6-4, 7-5. No. 3 Caleb Brewer fell to Pacey Brooks in a tiebreaker, 3-6, 7-6, 0-1, and No. 6 Morrison lost to Damion Locklear 6-2, 6-2.
Ojeda and Morrison teamed up to hold off Harris and Locklear in the No. 3 doubles match, edging the pair of Rams 8-6. In No. 2 action, Josiah and Pacey Brooks kept the Rams alive with an 8-6 win over Brewer and Bailey.
Like Hope noted, it came down to the No. 1 doubles match, which Campos and Pittman put away Cummings and Ben Brooks 8-4.
The Raiders improved their overall record to 3-6 and 3-4 in SAC play. They’ll be back in action on Thursday at home against Pinecrest High School. Matches begin at 4 p.m.
