PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Trailing 2-1 after the doubles points were played out, the Plymouth State University Panthers rallied to win four out of six singles points to earn a 5-4 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women's tennis match Saturday afternoon in Plymouth, N.H.
The loss ends a three-match win streak for Southern Maine and hands the Huskies' their first loss of the season dipping their record to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference. Plymouth State starts its season at 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the Little East.
The Panthers earned victories at second singles and third through sixth singles to claim the victory. Senior Mary Moran (Windham, Maine/Portland) won 6-2, 6-3 over Plymouth State senior Molly Heartfield (Dorset, Vt./Burr & Burton Academy) at first singles, while sophomore Courtney Aldrich (Lewiston, Maine) took a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles against Panther senior Jane Duggan (Saunderstown, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich).
Moran and senior Emily Boutin (Old Town, Maine) earned an 8-2 win over Molly Heartfield and Nitsa Ioannida at first doubles. Freshman Liz Martin (Naugatuck, Conn./Woodland Regional) and senior Christine Savage (Caribou, Maine) fought their way to an 9-8 (7) win over the Panther tandem of senior Chelsea Thibeault (Manchester, N.H./Central) and freshman Rachel Gustafson (Belchertown, Mass.).
Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) in its Little East Conference opener. Plymouth State travels Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday (4:00 p.m.)
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