The Mercer County girls are one win away from capturing their fifth consecutive team championship at the 12th Region Tournament.
Mercer’s top players will play the top players from Casey County for the singles and doubles titles in today’s championship round at Berea, where a total of three singles players and three doubles teams from area schools will play for titles.
A Mercer victory in either the girls singles or doubles final would give the Titans the team title, while Casey must win both matches to force a team playoff. Mercer holds a 13-11 edge in team points, which are awarded for each win by a school’s players.
The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in all four boys and girls brackets won quarterfinal and semifinal matches Sunday and will play for the championships at 5 p.m. today at Berea College.
In girls doubles, No. 1 seeds Christy Ingram and Erin Pigman of Mercer, who did not play in the first two days of the tournament thanks to a bye and a forfeit victory, knocked out unseeded Sara Coffman and Chelsey Lynn of Casey and advanced to the finals with a 6-2, 6-0 semifinal win.
Meanwhile, No. 2 seeds Haley Owens and Allie Tinsley of Casey advanced to the finals by beating unseeded Mary Baxter and Catheryne Claunch of Mercer 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
In singles, second-seeded Caitlin Baer of Mercer rallied after losing a first-set tiebreaker to beat No. 4 Nicole Davis of Wayne County 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2 in her semifinal, while top-seeded Tylyn Leigh of Casey defeated No. 3 Emily Major of Garrard County 6-1, 7-5.
Defending boys doubles champions Tanner Barrett and Jonah Johnson of Garrard, who are seeded No. 2, defeated No. 4 seeds Ben Akers and Ben Kendrick of Boyle County 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals. They will face top-seeded Austin Kirksey and Corbin Kirksey of Wayne County in the finals.
No. 1 boys singles seed Colin Hart of Lincoln County rolled into the finals with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins. He will face second-seeded Sam Jackson of Berea for the title.
Berea has clinched the boys team title.
Prep Tennis: Mercer leads race for girls regional title
top seeds reach boys, girls finals
12th Region Tournament
Sunday
At Berea College, Berea
(Area results; seeds in parentheses)
BOYS
Team Leaders
(15 teams)
1. Berea 11; 2. Garrard County 8; 3. Boyle County 7; 4. (tie) Mercer County 6; 7. (tie) Casey County 4; 7. (tie) Lincoln County 4; 11. (tie) Danville 1.
Singles
Quarterfinals
Colin Hart (1; Lincoln County) def. Brian Wray (8; Boyle County) 6-0, 6-0.
Ryan Martin (4; Casey County) def. Ethan Smith (6; Garrard County) 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Sam Jackson (2; Berea) def. Chris Fuller (7; Mercer County) 6-0, 6-1.
Semifinals
Hart (1) def. Steven Gadd (5; Berea) 6-0, 6-0.
Jackson (2) def. Martin (4) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles
Quarterfinals
Austin Kirksey-Corbin Kirksey (1; Wayne County) def. Morgan Gebert-Hunter Sheegog (7; Boyle County) 6-1, 6-0.
David Gadd-Nick Lykins (Berea) def. Jacob Crowell-Nathan Sheehan (5; Mercer County) 6-4, 6-2.
Ben Akers-Ben Kendrick (4; Boyle County) def. Cyrus Sadrinia-Ian Stuart (6; Pulaski County) 6-0, 6-1.
Tanner Barrett-Jonah Johnson (2; Garrard County) def. Clay Cannon-Skyler Wright (8; Casey County) 6-1, 6-3.
Semifinals
Barrett-Johnson (2) def. Akers-Kendrick (4) 6-1, 6-4.
———
GIRLS
Team Leaders
(15 teams)
1. Mercer County 13; 2. Casey County 11; 6. (tie) Lincoln County 4; 8. (tie) Danville 3; 8. (tie) Garrard County 3; 10. (tie) Boyle County 1.
Singles
Quarterfinals
Tylyn Leigh (1; Casey County) def. Haley White (5; Pulaski County) 6-1, 6-0, retired.
Emily Major (3; Garrard County) def. Sarah Walker (Mercer County) 6-1, 6-0.
Caitlin Baer (2; Mercer County) def. Kathryn Miracle (6; Lincoln County) 6-4, 6-0.
Semifinals
Leigh (1) def. Major (3) 6-1, 7-5.
Baer (2) def. Nicole Davis (4; Wayne County) 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles
Quarterfinals
Christy Ingram-Erin Pigman (1; Mercer County) def. Lynn Farner-Rheanna New (6; Southwestern) 6-0, 6-0.
Sara Coffman-Chelsey Lynn (Casey County) def. Alana Perry-Jamie Peters (7; Somerset) 6-4, 6-2.
Mary Baxter-Catheryne Claunch (Mercer County) def. Meredith Frankel-Hannah Frankel (4; Danville) 6-2, 6-2.
Haley Owens-Allie Tinsley (2; Casey County) def. Haley Stockham-Katherine Stockham (8; Pulaski County) 6-1, 6-3.
Semifinals
Ingram-Pigman (1) def. Coffman-Lynn 6-2, 6-0.
Owens-Tinsley (2) def. Baxter-Claunch 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
