Lady Devils finish second in Valdosta

Staff Reports



VALDOSTA -- The Tift County High tennis teams participated in the Valdosta Invitational over the weekend. The Lady Devils came in second during the event, while the Devils finished fifth.

The Lady Devils opened up the tournament with Ware Magnet and came away with a 4-1 victory. Becky Alt won at No. 1 singles, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, while Sarah Dutcher emerged with a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 3. Rachel Lawler and Anna Cohen won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles and Marcy Shiver and Amanda Lawler took a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 2.

Tift's semifinal match was against the host Valdosta squad. Tift emerged with a 3-2 victory. Whitney Lightfoot was Tift's only singles winner as she won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2. Rachel Lawler and Cohen won 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles and at No. 2, Shiver and Amanda Lawler took a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

The Lady Pirates of Appling County then took a 5-0 win in the championship over the Lady Devils..

On the boys' side of the tournament, Tift opened with the Bleckley County Royals and were defeated by a 4-1 score. Tift's only winner came at No. 2 doubles as Russ Vann and David Metzger won 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

That put Tift in the loser's bracket against the Appling County Pirates. The Devils emerged with a 4-1 victory.

John Bowen won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, while Charles Bowen won by forfeit at No. 3. At No. 1 doubles, Tift County's Bo Gray and Daniel Eriksen won 7-6 (7-2), 6-0. At No. 2, Tyler Sandifer and Vann took a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Tift then closed out the tournament with a convincing 5-0 victory over Jeff Davis. Jacob Sauls won 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at No. 1 singles, while John Bowen won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2. At No. 3 singles, Charles Bowen won 6-3, 6-0. Gray and Eriksen won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles and Sandifer and Vann took a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 2.