Cardinal girls rally in doubles, edge Oskaloosa

OSKALOOSA — After losing four matches during singles competition against Oskaloosa on Thursday, the Newton girls’ tennis team had a thin margin for error in doubles.

The Cardinals though were up to the challenge and a big rally pushed Newton to a 6-5 road win over the Indians during Little Hawkeye Conference action.

Oskaloosa held a 4-2 advantage after singles, but Roxanna Almazan and Izzy Wilson put the Cardinals on the board after winning two close matches at the back of the end of the lineup.

Almazan won her match at No. 5 singles 6-4, 7-5 and Wilson was a 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 victor at No. 6 singles.

The Indians won a fifth match at No. 1 doubles, but Newton rallied with victories in the final four contests.

Ella Swarts and Olivia Hotchkin won their No. 2 doubles match 6-1, 6-0, Almazan and Sloan Brodersen claimed a 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles and Wilson and Paige Benson registered a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 4 doubles.

Oskaloosa was 2-1 in three-set matches on the day, but Newton won the deciding contest at No. 5 doubles.

Avery Potter and Brooklyn Sterling locked up Newton’s team win following a 6-3, 6-7 (10-8), 10-7 triumph. Hotchkin and Madison Rinehart lost their singles matches in three sets, too.

The win snapped Newton’s five-match losing streak and improved the Cardinals’ record to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

Notes: Newton was 6-3 in junior varsity matches. The doubles teams of Alexis Dirksen and Emersyn Gross and Emily Wermager and Kaitlyn Bloom each won 6-1, while Delaney Cobler and Keelyn Carbajal, Izzy Lane and Camryn Andrew and Olivia Bell and Hailey Roush had 6-2 victories. Sage Scharber and Sarah Rodriguez were 6-3 winners.