When the BHS and Seattle Prep mixed doubles tennis teams resumed play Monday on the Bainbridge courts, everyone anticipated a tight game. The match had been suspended due to darkness during the previous meeting between the two schools a week and a half earlier. At that time Prep held a slight lead, 6-3, 6-7, 4-3.

The mixed doubles outcome would determine the winner of that earlier meeting, since the teams were deadlocked at 5-5. A Bainbridge victory would mark the first time that the Spartans defeated the Panthers in dual competition.

With members of both teams and numerous spectators watching, the match lasted for more than a half hour, with the Bainbridge team of Tim Buxton and Carolyn McCotter a virtually perfect match for their Prep counterparts. The two teams combined for a total of 10 back-and-forth match points before Prep finally prevailed. Even then, the Panthers needed a 20-point tiebreaker after a 6-6 set deadlock.

When play was completed, Bainbridge and Prep played their second match of the season, with the Panthers coming away with a 7-4 decision.

McCotter, who had been ill for several days, held her service to begin the mixed doubles, knot the score at 4-4 and set the tone for the rest of the match.

Prep double-faulted on the first two serves of the next set, but came back to win and put the pressure on Buxton to hold his serve. The teams split the first four points, but Prep mis-hit the following two serves to tie the score again.

Buoyed by a tremendous shot by Buxton – he stretched full-length at the net to get to the ball and then put it away for a 30-15 edge – Bainbridge got the service break they were looking for.

Then came the best set of the match. With the score again 30-30, the Spartans went to match point when Prep put McCotter’s serve into the net. But Bainbridge lost the next point. The same thing happened three more times before Prep finally gained the advantage and a Spartan hit into the net led to yet another tie at 6-6.

Prep opened up double match point at 6-4 in the tiebreaker before Buxton and McCotter battled back to tie. They took leads of 8-7 and 9-8 but once again couldn’t get the decisive point. Prep ran off the final three points to win 11-9.

The losses snapped Bainbridge’s 11-match winning streak and dropped their Metro record to 4-2.

The team warmed up for the Prep match by defeating Lakeside on Friday, taking seven of the eleven matches.

SEATTLE PREP RESULTS

Girls Singles: #1 Grace Porter, Bain d. Katie Lee 6-0, 6-0; #2 Kate Magee, Prep d. Colleen Gruber 6-7, 6-3, 6-3; #3 Kelly Zwicker, Bain d. Gillian Heilbrun 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Boys Singles: #1 Andrew LaCava, Prep d. Dylan Skeffington, 6-0, 6-2; #2 Shuhei Matsuya, Prep d. Sam Claney, Bain 6-0, 6-0; #3 Jason Bediones, Prep d. Scott Alderson, Bain 6-1, 7-5.

Girls Doubles: #1 Kate Jameson/Sarah Powers, Bain d. Claire McReynolds/Kyra McHugh 6-4, 7-5; #2 Emily Newman/Jenny Biagi, Prep d. Kendall Culton/Jenna Knell 6-2, 6-2.

Boys Doubles: #1 Taylor Hunt/Garrett Vincent, Prep d. David Gruber/Ryan Hunt, Bain 6-1, 6-1; #2 Nate Parker/Ian Saksa, Bain d. Nick Biagi/Evan Beckman 6-0, 6-3.

Mixed Doubles: Sarah Newman/Drew Beckman, Prep d. Abigail Hawley/Tim Buxton 6-2, 7-6 (3).

LAKESIDE RESULTS

Girls Singles: #1 Grace Porter, Bain d. Andrea Augustine 6-0, 6-2; #2 Laura Zhang, LK d. Colleen Gruber 6-1, 6-2; #3 Kelly Zwicker, Bain d. Navya Prakash 6-1, 6-0.

Boys Singles: #1 Malcolm Chan, LK d. Dylan Skeffington, 6-1, 6-0; #2 Sam Claney, Bain d. Jonathan Yu 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; #3 Scott Alderson, Bain d. Chandler Furman 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Girls Doubles: #1 Kate Jameson/Sarah Powers, Bain d. Mary Zamojski/Cherrie Angeles 6-1, 6-4; #2 Ginny Drake/Charlotte Fisken, LK d. Kendall Culton/Jenna Knell 6-1, 6-4.

Boys Doubles: #1 David Gruber/Ryan Hunt, Bain d.Andrew Haiger/Justin Norden 7-6 (3), 7-5; #2 Nate Parker/Ian Saksa, Bain d. Tim Firman/John Daly 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Mixed Doubles: Shamii Goh/Will Dickey, LK d. Abigail Hawley/Tim Buxton 6-4, 7-6 (5).