FARMINGDALE — Third-seeded Hall-Dale sported a better record and higher seeding than St. Dominic, but based on experience and a tougher schedule, the sixth-seeded Saints were a decided favorite entering their Class C South quarterfinal match Thursday.
Results bore that out as the Saints won 4-1, winning the first three matches in straight sets to settle the outcome in less than an hour and a half.
St. Dom’s (9-4) advances to face No. 2 Winthrop on Saturday while Hall-Dale finishes at 8-3.
Hall-Dale coach Guy Cousins has seen plenty of the Saints the past few seasons. Until this year both teams played in the Mountain Valley Conference where Dom’s was a perennial contender. The Saints moved to the Western Maine Conference where they encountered the likes of Falmouth, Yarmouth and Waynflete. The competition helped, but so did a lineup that won the Class C state championship last year and returned virtually intact.
“They’re good anyway,” Cousins said. “Over the years we’ve competed quite well with them. Their No. 1 is outstanding, everybody knows that. But they always have good competitive doubles and another solid singles player.”
Belgrade native Bethany Hammond has played No. 1 singles for the Saints in all four years at the Auburn school. This year, she finished fourth in the state singles competition and will play next year at Stonehill College.
Hammond used a strong serve and a variety of drop shots to defeat Hall-Dale senior Addie Davis 6-0, 6-2. It was the toughest opponent Davis has faced in her high school career.
“She’s definitely an amazing player,” Davis said. “It’s definitely a lot of fun, though.”
Davis is typical of Hall-Dale’s revamped team, having moved up from third singles last year to the top spot. The Bulldogs also had to juggle their doubles teams due to an illness and Cousins reversed the order of his first and second team after ladder play.
“We had to reconfigure it completely,” Cousins said. “That’s what you have to do if there are injuries or sickness. Those are challenges you have to meet. It’s not an excuse, that’s just the way it is.”
Hall-Dale senior Becca Freed-Barlow won her match at third singles, battling through injury to defeat Rachel Kurtz 6-1, 6-0.
Freed-Barlow, who finished the year at 11-0, could barely walk a week ago due to shin splints. She retaped an ankle between sets and told Cousins she might have to be carried off the court.
“She’s just a tremendous athlete that plays with a lot of heart,” Cousins said. “She’s a warrior and persevered through the pain.”
St. Dom’s senior Clare Kramer downed Hall-Dale’s Rose Warren at second singles, 6-2, 6-0. The first doubles team of KK Linck and Kassandra Stacy defeated Hall-Dale’s Lilit Mathieu and Laura Molesworth 6-0, 6-0, while Laurel Christopher and Hannah Phelen prevailed 6-3, 6-2 over freshman Georgia Warren and Maggie Gross in second doubles.
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