RAPID CITY — To close the Rapid City Invitational on Friday at Sioux Park, Mitchell faced Rapid City Christian in a dual that came down to the final doubles matches of the evening.
After a 3-3 split in six singles matches, Mitchell dropped a pair of doubles matches that ultimately handed the Kernels their third dual loss of the season.
In No. 1 doubles, Macon Larson and Tyler Loecker took down Rapid City Christian’s Noah Greni and Joe Schneller 10-8. In Flight 2 doubles, Aidan Patrick and Drake Jerke lost to Rapid City Christian’s Andrew Dobbs and Jack Hancock 10-4.
The split in doubles play favored the Comets, as Mitchell’s Jack Vermeulen and Connor Thelen lost a close Flight 3 doubles match against Noah Geyer and Henry Beckloff 10-9(7).
Loecker was the only Kernels tennis player to win his doubles and singles match, as he beat Rapid City Christian’s Schneller 10-8 in Flight 2 singles. In No. 5 singles, Mitchell’s Josh Grosdidier outlasted Geyer, 10-8, while freshman Luke Jerke beat Rapid City Christian’s Beckloff, 10-4.
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Larson fell in No. 1 singles to Greni, 10-2, while Patrick lost to Dobbs, 10-6, in Flight 3 singles and Vermeulen came up just shy of beating Hancock, 10-8, in Flight 4 singles.
The Kernels will host Yankton, Pierre and Vermillion in a quadrangular at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Hitchcock Park.
Rapid City Christian 5, Mitchell 4
Singles
No. 1: Noah Greni (RC) def. Macon Larson (M), 10-2
No. 2: Tyler Loecker (M) def. Joe Schneller (RC), 10-8
No. 3: Andrew Dobbs (RC) def. Aidan Patrick (M), 10-6
No. 4: Jack Hancock (RC) def. Jack Vermeulen (M), 10-6
No. 5: Josh Grosdidier (M) def. Noah Geyer (RC), 10-8
No. 6: Luke Jerke (M) def. Henry Beckloff (RC), 10-4
Doubles
No. 1: Larson/Loecker (M) def. Greni/Schneller (RC), 10-8
No. 2: Dobbs/Hancock (RC) def. Patrick/Drake Jerke (M), 10-4
No. 3: Geyer/Beckloff (RC) def. Vermeulen/Connor Thelen (M), 10-9(7)
