Mead’s Singles Club Lc In Key Gsl Tennis Match

There was no single reason why Mead’s boys beat Lewis and Clark in tennis Friday.

There were, however, four singles reasons.

Mead swept the four singles matches and topped visiting LC 5-2 in a match between the Greater Spokane League’s premier teams of the decade.

Mead and Ferris, both 4-0, were rained out of their matchup Thursday. The teams hope to make up the match Monday, the day before LC (3-1) is set to play Ferris.

Mead is gunning for its fifth consecutive outright or shared title.

“Anytime we beat LC, that’s a good win for us,” said Mead coach Bill Wagstaff.

Wagstaff and LC counterpart Jeff Norton wagered that the match would be settled at No. 2 doubles, which Mead’s Aaron Mainer and David Li won 6-1, 6-4 over Mike Hall and Todd Emmanuel.

Neither coach would have predicted a Mead sweep in singles, especially with Joe Gimness facing LC’s Danny Oranen at No. 4.

Oranen beat Gimness 6-0, 6-0 earlier this year. Wagstaff asked Gimness how it felt to be “cannon fodder” Friday. Gimness didn’t know what the phrase meant, nor did he live up to the billing after winning 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Wagstaff also thought the No. 2 singles match would be close, but Mead lefty Tory Gambill powered past Carl Johnson 6-0, 6-1.

The long-awaited No. 1 singles match between Mead’s Ryan Moran and Spencer Piston started with a bang. Both players held serve through 10 games, as the aggressive Piston played point-for-point with last year’s unbeaten GSL leader.

Piston, with the serve at 5-5, fell behind 40-love and double-faulted at 40-15. Moran served out the set, then broke Piston three times for a 6-0 win in the second and final set.

“All I was concentrating on was breaking him,” said Moran, who beat Piston 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in an early season non-leaguer. “I had hoped (the break) would come earlier.”

Wagstaff met with Moran between sets, reminding his junior ace to move up against the attacking Piston.

“I was a little surprised the second set was 6-0, but I was also surprised the first one went 7-5,” Wagstaff said.

“I’m glad my serve was on or I would have been dead in the first set,” Moran said.

, DataTimes