By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Brandywine's boys' tennis team poured out sweat and determination in defeating visiting Buchanan in sweltering temperatures Wednesday night at Plym Park.
Dave Sidenbender's squad earned a much-needed lift with a 6-2 performance, but it wasn't easy.
Tyler Weeks and Justin Palmer displayed solid work in front of the net to dispatch Jake Welsh and Nick Bauer of Buchanan 6-1 in set one of No. 1 doubles. Bauer and Welsh came back in the second set to surge to a 3-0 lead with aggressive middle court play. With the set on the ropes Weeks and Palmer raged back from a 1-4 deficit to go ahead at 5-4 and close out the battle 6-4.
Dan Reidenbach and Chris Brady took care of opportunities from their opposition of Corey Thompson and Jeremiah Tinker to craft a 6-1, 6-1 win in second doubles.
Dan Blank and partner Kevin Muntz lofted unreturnable shots to Buchanan's pair of Kris Underly and Duraken Dureen winning in a walk 6-2,6-2. Meanwhile Cody Udell and Colton Ditto of Brandywine came back from a 3-6 defeat in the first set , to win the last two sets and the match, with strong defense and several deep lobs.
The Bobcat's No. 1 singles play Jake Harris and the Bucks' Zach Hughes waged a duel in the sun. Deuces reached over 20 as Hughes won the first set 6-3, only to fall to Harris's tenacious returns in set two 6-4. Set three started out with a 4-1 advantage, but Harris recovered to tie at 4-4. The hard-hitting Hughes eventually outlasted his opponent 7-5.
Brandywine's Cam Ordesky whitewashed his challenger, David Bromley, 6-0, 6 -0 in No. 4 singles.
In return, Ryan Henkle of Buchanan, in two singles bested Bobcat's Shane Bankston 6-1, 6-4. Bankston fought back from a deficit in each set, but Henkle's sparkling serves helped him to stay the course.
Probably the most exciting match of the evening belonged to Brandywine's Zac Edquist and Buchanan's Derek Blank Freshman Blank exhibited grit after Edquist had thrown lobs and forehands at him to win the first set 6-4. Edquist came back from a 2-0 start by Blank, in the second set, to tie at 4-4 with a killer butterfly. With determination of his own Blank stopped Edquist right there, and won the set 6-4. An unyielding Edquist reemerged from 3-4, to 4-4, to lead 5-4. The freshman wasn't finished, Blank rallied to tie at 6-6 in regulation. From that point Edquist pulled out the tie-breaker, with seven points to five, to pull out the triumph 7-6.
Brandywine coach Dave Sidenbender was relieved to see success for his team. "I'm happy the way we competed. We're a work in progress. We're getting better every time."
Brandywine…6
Buchanan…2
Singles
1. Zach Hughes (BU) d. Jake Harris 6-3,4-6, 7-5; 2. Ryan Henkle (BU) d. Shane Bankston 6-1,6-4; 3. Zac Edquist (BR) d. Derek Blank 6-4,4-6,7-6; 4. Cam Ordesky (BR) d. Dave Bromley 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Tyler Palmer/Justin Weeks (BR) d. Jake Welch/Nick Bauer 6-1, 6-4; 2. Dan Reidenbach/Chris Brady (BR) d. Corey Thompson/Jeremiah Tinker 6-1,6-1; 3. Dan Blank/Kevin Muntz (BR) d. Kris Underly/ Duraken Dureen 6-2,6-2; 4. Cody Udell/Colton Ditto (BR) d. Zach Hodge/ Dominic Remmo 6-3,6-4