By Kenny Varner

MIFFLINTOWN – To be the best you have to play the best, that is one of the items that Juniata coach Logan Aurand uses when he builds his yearly schedule for the Juniata tennis team.

Wednesday, the Indians took to the courts to do battle with a familiar foe in Tyrone.

In a hard fought battle, the Indians came out with the  4-1 victory. Picking up victories were Darin Kint, Sylvia Gaisior, Asher Wriglesworth and the second of the two doubles teams.

“A lot of our singles players, they all played tight. A little nervous but they all shook it off as they went. Even Silvia who won in straight sets. She started tight but was still was able to clean it up at the end,” said Juniata coach Logan Aurand. “Same with Asher, he lost the first set to himself but then he played to his own level and won the next two and that’s what I need of one of my captains to comeback from that. Same with Darin and he admitted. He said her coach I’m tight. I said it’s alright you’ll make the match long which is his specialty and his game cleaned up.”

In an early year match up, the new look Juniata squad with new number one player in Kint, taking over for the graduated player Xane Whitesel

Kint went up against Wyatt Walls.

Kint went up early 1-0.

Walls took the next two, taking the 2-1 advantage. Walls used his momentum from there to defeat Kint in a hard fought battle 6-1.

Trailing 1-0 in the set, Kint was looking for a comeback. He took the contest to a 5-2 advantage, on the edge of forcing a third and deciding set.

Walls battled back to win the next two in-a-row, closing it to a 5-4 contest. He then tied things at five, bringing the contest down to the wire.

When the dust settled in the contest,

He did just that he went up 3-2 in the  second, trying to rally back into the contest.

Kint forced a third and deciding set with the marathon contest.

Late in the third, Kint muscled out a close 5-4 advantage, needing just one win to end it. He did just that taking the win 6-4.

In seed number two, Sylvia Gaisior went up against the Golden Eagles’ Ethan Dosher. Gaisior went up 3-0 in her match. She finished with the 6-0 shutout out.

Dosher took the next two matches, cutting it to a 3-2 Gaisior advantage.

Going into game seven, the two were knotted at three.

Gaisior jumped back into the lead to lead 4-3. The freshman was cool under pressure.

In a tight eighth game, Dosher took the contest, tying things at four.

Trailing late in the game, Gaisior came back to take the advantage once again, leading 5-4.

In the end, the Indians’ freshman took the victory. Taking the first round 6-4.

In the second set, Gaisior’s backhand was a too for Dosher as she went up 2-0. She continued to keep the momentum, taking a 3-0 advantage.

When the two switched sides of the court, Gaisior led comfortably.

Rounding out the singles action at number three, Juniata’s Asher Wriglesworth battled Caden Harris.

Harris jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first set.

Wriglesworth battled back to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

He tied things at two, adding some momentum behind him as he settled in.

Wriglesworth possessed a strong serve blazing it past Harris on numerous occasions, as he stayed in striking distance at 4-3 in the opening set. Things remained close as they headed into the end of the first set at 5-4 in Harris’ favor. Harris would take the first set, 6-4.

Opening up the second, Wriglesworth took the first game and the next two, taking a 3-0 advantage. He would go into force a third and deciding set.

The Indians’ number three dominated the final set, wearing down Harris, winning 6-1 to complete the sweep.

In doubles action, the team of Thea Beward and John Martin fell to Logan Harpster and Tyler Weston.

In the second doubles match up, Juniata’s Dayton Miller and Marissa Henry defeated the Tyrone duo of Rhys Rawlings and Will Monsel.