Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Sophomore Izabel Uranzorig returns the ball during a recent singles pairing. She is in the No. 2 slot.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Brenda Street-coached Morenci tennis girls are in the same situation as in 2018. The Wildcats moved up a slot from where they were last season as the No. 1 player was unavailable.
Morenci edged Pima 5-4 on Feb. 28 and Miami on March 19 plus downed Pima 8-1 on March 26, and Saint David 8-1 on March 29. The losses are 8-1 to Safford on Feb. 26, 9-0 to Thatcher on March 5, 3-6 to Duncan on March 7, 5-4 to Willcox on March 21, and 9-0 to Safford on March 28.
This week, the Wildcats travel to Benson on Tuesday, April 2, host Thatcher on Thursday, April 4, and venture to Miami for a tournament Friday, April 5.
Three home duels remain in the regular season, with the Wildcats hosting Benson on April 8, Duncan on April 9, and Willcox on April 16.
The Wildcats (4-5) are 20-34 in singles and 13-14 in doubles following nine duels.
In singles, No. 1 junior Keanna Cortez 0-9, No. 2 sophomore Izobel Uranzorig 3-6, No. 3 junior Corrie White 3-6, and No. 4 junior Monica Gonzalez 6-3, No. 5 sophomore Taylor Begay 3-6, and No. 6 junior Madalyn Wright 5-4.
In doubles, No. 1 Cortez – Uranzorig is 2-7, White – Gonzalez 5-4, No. 3 Wright – freshman Viviana Mendez-Draper 3-1, Begay – Draper 2-1, and Begay – Wright 1-1.
Morenci – 7, Saint David – 2
Morenci triumphed in five singles and two doubles pairings.
Uranzorig (8-4 over senior Alana Betancourt), White (8-2 over sophomore Claire Daley), Gonzalez (8-0 over senior Ashton Williams), Begay (8-4 over sophomore Carly Judd), and Wright (8-0 over freshman Sariah Fry) had the singles wins.
In doubles, White – Gonzalez and Begay – Draper recorded identical 8-2 scores over Daley – Williams and Judd – Fry, respectively.
For Saint David, senior Haley Witchmann (6-1, 6-0 over Cortez) and Witchmann – Betancourt (8-5 over Cortez – Uranzorig) had wins.
Safford – 9, Morenci – 0
The Bulldogs swept the Wildcats, winning all nine pairings.
Junior Ella Peterson (6-1, 6-2 over Cortez), junior Alissa Carter (6-3 twice over Uranzorig), junior CiAirra Bowman (7-5, 6-2 over White), junior Cambry Cluff (6-1, 6-4 over Gonzalez), senior Gianna Ciancomino (6-4, 6-1 over Begay), and junior Sonja Estrada (6-0, 6-1 over Wright) had the singles wins.
In doubles, Bowman – Carter downed Cortez – Uranzorig 8-3, Peterson – Cluff defeated White – Gonzalez 8-5, and Estrada – freshman Madison Peterson bested Begay – Draper 8-3.
Morenci – 8, Pima – 1
Morenci won five singles and three doubles pairings.
White won the tie-breaker 11-9 after splitting sets (lost 7-5, won 6-4) with junior Kiley Cluff, plus Uranzorig (7-5, 6-0 over senior Kamry Bryce), Gonzalez (6-3, 6-2 over sophomore Allison Lunt), Begay (6-2, 6-3 over junior Kenzie McWhorter), and Wright (6-3, 6-2 over sophomore Beckie Peterson) had the singles wins.
Pima’s win was by Alani Bryce (6-1, 6-0 over Cortez).
