Saddleback fell to Orange Coast 6-3 in an Orange Empire Conference men's tennis match on Wednesday (March 12).
Blake Emery won his match at No. 2 singles (4-6, 7-5, 6-2) and then teamed with Bryce Keefer to win at No. 1 doubles, 8-6 in a pro set. Jason Bradshaw defeated his singles opponent in the No. 6 position, 6-3, 6-3. But the Gauchos fell in the other matches. Charlie Hunt dropped a decision at No. 5 singles, falling to his opponent in a tiebreaker in the third set.
The Gauchos are now 8-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
The Saddleback men’s tennis team defeated College of the Desert for the first time since a 1995 non-conference match, getting past the Roadrunners 7-2 at home on Tuesday. Desert joined the Orange Empire Conference in 2005 and has since swept through the competition, snapping Saddleback’s string of 12 consecutive Orange Empire Conference titles. The Roadrunners have won 10 of the past 12 state championship titles.
Saddleback was led by Blake Emery who won fairly easily at No. 2 singles and then held on to win at No. 1 doubles with teammate Bryce Keefer. The strength at the bottom of Saddleback’s lineup proved to be the difference as Alvin Jogasuria won a tiebreaker to claim victory at No. 4 singles, Charlie Hunt won easily at No. 5 singles, and Jason Bradshaw was extended to a third set before winning at No. 6 singles. Saddleback swept all three doubles matches.
The last time Saddleback defeated Desert was early in the 1995 season, edging the Roadrunners 5-4. Saddleback went on to win the state title that season, its last state title in men’s tennis.
SADDLEBACK 7, College of the DESERT 2
Singles:
Bryce Keefer (SADD) lost to Evan Jurgensen (COD), 6-0, 6-2
Blake Emery (SADD) def. Kristian Zak (COD), 6-1, 6-1
Travis McClellan (SADD) lost to Pete Billingham (COD), 6-2, 7-6
Alvin Jogasuria (SADD) def. Pete Kiefer (COD), 6-0, 7-6 (1)
Charlie Hunt (SADD) def. Sabastian Gutierrez (COD), 6-1, 6-1
Jason Bradshaw (SADD) def. Lance Redden (COD), 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
Doubles:
Keefer/Emery (SADD) def. Jurgensen/Zak (COD), 9-8
Bradshaw/Hunt (SADD) def. Billingham/Redden (COD), 8-1
McClellan/Jogasuria (SADD) def. Kiefer/Gutierrez (COD), 8-1
Saddleback improved to 4-1 on the season with three more victories recently. The Gauchos defeated Palomar 7-2 on the Comets’ home courts with Bryce Keefer and Travis McClellan winning dramatic three-set matches at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively. Keefer came back from being a set down to defeat Jason Sinkoff 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 while McClellan also battled back from being a set down to defeat Kyle Anderson 6-7, 6-3, 11-9. Blake Emery was also extended to a third set before defeating Travis Albidi at No. 5 singles, 6-7, 6-1, 10-6. Keefer and Emery teamed up in the No. 1 doubles slot to take a 9-8 pro-set victory away from Palomar’s top doubles team.
The next day Saddleback traveled to Glendale to face the Vaqueros and came away with a 6-3 win. Although Glendale won the top two singles matches and the top doubles match, Saddleback’s depth proved to be the difference as Charlie Hunt, Alvin Jogasuria, Jason Bradshaw, and Emery swept the lower singles matches. These four also paired up to win the bottom two doubles matches by identical 8-1 scores.
Saddleback’s third road trip in six days resulted in an 8-1 victory over Long Beach City College as the Gauchos dropped the No. 1 singles match but swept all of the remaining matches. Emery blanked his opponent, Reynolds Tacsuan, at No. 4 singles, 6-0, 6-0
Saddleback was blanked by Mt. San Jacinto, 9-0, in a non-conference men’s tennis match on Thursday (Jan. 31). The Gauchos (1-1) were swept at every position except No. 3 singles where Travis McClellan extended his opponent to a third set before falling.
The Gauchos have another tough week ahead of them as they travel to Palomar on Thursday (Feb. 7) and then to Glendale on Friday (Feb. 8).
The Saddleback men’s tennis team opened its 2008 schedule with a 7-2 victory over Southwestern College in Chula Vista on Tuesday (Jan. 29). The Gauchos lost at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles but won all of the lower matches. Sophomore Bryce Keefer swept his opponent at No. 2 singles (6-1, 6-3) to lead the charge. Travis McClellan had little trouble at No. 3 singles, beating his opponent 6-0, 6-1, and Charlie Hunt was extended to a third set at No. 4 singles before winning 1-6, 7-6, 6-1. McClellan teamed with Blake Emery at No. 2 doubles to win 8-3 in a pro set while Hunt teamed with sophomore Jason Bradshaw at No. 3 doubles to also post an 8-3 victory.
Saddleback is scheduled to visit Mt. San Jacinto College on Thursday, Jan. 31.