Panthers tennis bows out to Tehachapi in D-III quarterfinals
A late season skid carried over into the playoffs for No. 5 Porterville, which fell to No. 4 Tehachapi, 6-3, Friday afternoon.
The Panthers, which struggled late in EYL play, finishing 2-4 in the final six matches, paid for it with a road game at Tehachapi. Both teams earned byes in the first round.
Friday’s match had already been decided after the singles portion for the road-weary Panthers.
No. 1 and No. 2 singles players Chai Yang and Patrick Lewis each were outmatched in consecutive 0-6 sets.
No. 3 Johnny Nieto was the lone Panther to pick up a point, winning 2-6, 6-3 and 10-5 in the super breaker.
No. 4 Robert Lanning (1-6, 3-6), No. 5 Mitch Walters (2-6, 0-6) and No. 6 Amninder Dahliwal (4-6, 6-7) each dropped their respective singles battles.
Tehachapi rearranged its doubles teams and Porterville took advantage. The No. 1 doubles tandem of Yang and Lewis easily beat their counterparts, 8-0, as did Nieto and Walters, 8-2, from the No. 2 spot.
Zack Hill was called up from JV to assist No. 3 doubles partner Josh Martinez, but the two fell, 4-8.
