ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School boys’ tennis team dropped its second-straight Sandhills Athletic Conference match Tuesday after winning its opener last week.
The Raiders welcomed in Jack Britt High School, and lost to the Buccaneers by a final score of 8-1. A win by senior Mason Bailey in the No. 4 singles match saved the Raiders from being swept in straight sets, something that has already happened three times this season (twice to Union Pines, once to Pinecrest high schools).
Bailey, who is in his first season competing in singles competition, defeated Dylan Freeman 7-5, 1-0 after Freeman retired from the match. The win marked Bailey’s second match win of the season.
Richmond’s No. 1 and No. 2 players, senior Kevin Campos and sophomore Bradford Pittman, didn’t have much luck against the top two Buccaneers. Campos fell to Jason Chay 2-6, 1-6, while Pittman was blanked by Joel Umana 0-6, 0-6.
“The top of Jack Britt’s lineup is solid at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots as Chay and Umana were regional players last season,” head coach Patrick Hope said. “Mason won a hard-fought match to get us our only point. We just have to get momentum early in matches and be mentally tougher when things get tough.”
In the No. 3 singles match, Jack Britt’s Rithik Penmatcha defeated Caleb Brewer 6-1, 6-2. No. 5 Karym Ojeda lost to Braden Hug 6-2, 6-0 and newcomer Alex Yates lost in the No. 6 singles match 0-6, 0-6 to Alex Posener.
In doubles competition, Jack Britt won the No. 1 and No. 2 matches by an 8-1 score. Campos and Pittman fell to Chay and Umana, while Brewer and Mason were edged by Penmatcha and Hug.
In the No. 3 doubles match, Freeman and Posener held off a tough Ojeda and Yates to win 8-3.
Richmond (1-4, 1-2 SAC) will host Hoke County High School (0-2, 0-1 SAC) on Thursday and look to return to the win column. Singles matches start at 4 p.m.