Val T.

Sep 115 min read

Rochester boys tennis roundup: Reinartz stays unbeaten, but team falls to Manchester

Merideth, Musselman also triumph at No. 2 doubles

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Tanner Reinartz remained unbeaten at No. 1 singles, but the Rochester boys tennis team lost to conference and sectional rival Manchester 3-2 at the RHS courts Tuesday.

Rochester’s other point came from the No. 2 doubles team of Carter Merideth and Ashton Musselman, who beat Milo Hupp and A.J. Weaver 6-2, 6-1.

The only match to go three sets came at No. 3 singles, where Brendyn Mugford rallied to beat Jack Reffett 0-6, 6-2, 6-3, finally putting away Reffett on his fifth match point to win the decisive point for his team.

Manchester’s other points came at No. 2 singles, where Caleb Struble-Hedstrom beat Wade Bowers 6-3, 6-1, and No. 1 doubles, where Cole Henderson and Connor Trump rallied from a 0-4 deficit in the first set to win 6-4, 6-4.

Reinartz won 6-0, 6-3 over Owen Harshman. Harshman featured a one-handed backhand and was able to hit the corners with it more frequently in the second set. Still, Reinartz has lost only one set this season in nine matches.

“It threw Tanner off awhile,” Heyde said. “I think the kid was missing them in the first set. In the second set, he started hitting some better one-handed backhands. It’s hard to judge what kind of spin if you’re not used to seeing someone hit a one-handed backhand, so I think Tanner took a minute to adjust there in that second set, so he lost a few games there, but he came back and won.”

Merideth and Musselman both confounded their opponents with their serves, according to Heyde.

“They both served well,” Heyde said. “They hit pretty hard cuts. The kids they were playing against maybe weren’t used to that. Really they were having trouble returning those. … What I saw, they were hitting spots well and keeping the ball in play.”

Rochester faces another conference and sectional rival when they travel to Wabash at 5 p.m. today.

“Hopefully, they’re ready,” Heyde said. “Most people were playing pretty good tennis. Jack lost that one – I’m not going to say he should have won; I think the other kid just played really poorly in the first set – but it should have been closer, and Wade… is just trying to learn to win. Hopefully, one of those two, if not both of them, can get a win tomorrow and just kind of get that confidence that they need to start hitting the ball and dictating points instead of just getting the ball back in play and let the other make a mistake.”

RESULTS: MANCHESTER 3, ROCHESTER 2

Singles

Tanner Reinartz (RHS) def. Owen Harshman (MAN), 6-0, 6-3

Caleb Struble-Hedstrom (MAN) def. Wade Bowers (RHS), 6-3, 6-1

Brendyn Mugford (MAN) def. Jack Reffett (RHS), 0-6, 6-2, 6-3

Doubles

Cole Henderson-Connor Trump (MAN) def. Harrison Dunwoody-Brady Morgan (RHS), 6-4, 6-4

Carter Merideth-Ashton Musselman (RHS) def. Milo Hupp-A.J. Weaver (MAN), 6-2, 6-1

JV RESULTS: ROCHESTER 2, MANCHESTER 0

Singles

Hunter Kamp (RHS) won 6-0.

Jackson Frounfelter (RHS) won 6-2.

Peru 4, Rochester 1 (Thursday)

“Come on!” Rochester tennis player Tanner Reinartz exclaimed after match point.

He had just survived his toughest test of the season in pulling out a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Peru’s Jacob Boswell at No. 1 singles at the RHS courts Thursday.

However, Rochester won only six games total in the other four matches – none in the doubles matches – and lost to the Tigers 4-1.

Reinartz had not lost a set this season prior to the first set against Boswell. He said he needed to stop hitting to the middle of the court.

“I really just had to work my corners and focus on the lines and play with the lines and just get him tired,” Reinartz said.

Reinartz, who appeared to be battling a sore right shoulder, was asked if conditioning was a factor in the third set against the diminutive Boswell.

“I think he was a little frustrated and definitely less conditioned,” Reinartz said. “I mean, the motor, you’ve just got to have that motor going at all times, and I was lucky enough to have it.”

Reinartz said he was “framing literally everything” in the first set. He said he had to make a lot of adjustments.

“I had to work on placing it in the back half of the court with either back spin or hit it hard with the forehand and just create that topspin down the line,” Reinartz said.

Wade Bowers lost to Lucas Musser 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Jack Reffett lost to Carter Musser 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

Jackson Boswell and Gavin Eldridge beat Harrison Dunwoody and Brady Morgan 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles, and J.P. Pallante and Carter Schwarz beat Carter Merideth and Ashton Musselman 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

“Peru’s doubles teams are just always very solid,” Rochester coach Mason Heyde said. “They know where to put the ball. They don’t try to hit winners every time; they just go for placement. And it works. Not that they’re not strong hitters. They hit the ball hard when they need to, but they also understand you don’t need to. There’s always an open spot on the court, especially for the guy at the net, and they just always seem to hit it in the right spots.”

Heyde switched Bowers and Morgan within the last week. The move reunites Morgan with Dunwoody, who were teammates last year.

“I think Wade, he’s a strong singles player,” Heyde said. “He’s got really good groundstrokes. I just felt like that was the right move to swap him and Brady. Brady and Harrison have played together. They played together most of last year in doubles, but I think Wade, earlier this week when we played (against North Judson), the first set he played at singles was rough, but it started clicking for him in that second (set). Tonight, a lot better opponent than Tuesday, but he’s getting there. I think it will be a good spot for him.”

Peru also won the JV match 3-1.

RESULTS: PERU 4, ROCHESTER 1

Singles

Tanner Reinartz (RHS) def. Jacob Boswell (PERU), 1-6, 7-5, 6-2

Lucas Musser (PERU) def. Wade Bowers (RHS), 6-0, 6-1

Carter Musser (PERU) def. Jack Reffett (RHS), 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

Jackson Boswell-Gavin Eldridge (PERU) def. Harrison Dunwoody-Brady Morgan (RHS), 6-0, 6-0

J.P. Pallante-Carter Schwarz (PERU) def. Carter Merideth-Ashton Musselman (RHS), 6-0, 6-0

JV RESULTS: PERU 3, ROCHESTER 1

Singles

Hunter Kamp (RHS) lost 8-6.