Sports

Girls Tennis: Champagne kept on ice for one more day

ROBERT O'ROURK PHOTO | Erica Bundrick lost the first set against Aimee Manfredo Thursday, but the match couldn't be completed.

Mattituck girls tennis coach Jim Christy called it a race against the rain.

The rain won.

The undefeated Tuckers had a chance to clinch the League VIII title outright Thursday afternoon at Shoreham-Wading River, but a light mist ultimately made the courts too slick for the match to reach its conclusion.

At the time play was stopped, the Tuckers had two victories in the books. The match will be picked up where it left off next Tuesday.

The Tuckers are 12-0 in league and 14-0 overall. The Wildcats came into the match in second place at 10-2 and 10-5 overall.

The marquee matchup at first singles featured Erica Bundrick for the Tuckers and Aimee Manfredo of Shoreham. The two have had their share of battles in recent years and last season Bundrick was the only player to defeat Manfredo. That came in the quarterfinals of the division tournament.

Manfredo won the first match earlier this season and was leading against Bundrick when play was halted Thursday. She won the first set and was leading 2-1 in the second set.

Bundrick is 12-2 this season and Manfredo is 12-1. The two could very likely meet again in the division tournament before they would finish their match from Thursday. The division tournament begins Saturday at Shoreham-Wading River High School.

The wins for Mattituck Thursday came at second singles and third doubles. Olivia Cardinale won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles against Jaclyn La Sita. The third doubles team of Molly Nolan and Siobhan Nolan won 6-0, 6-0 against Brielle Mauder and Courtney Hauf.

The Tuckers can clinch the league title outright tomorrow when they host Riverhead. But rain is once again in the forecast.

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