MARQUETTE — The Escanaba High School boys tennis team made its Thursday trip north worth it, creating havoc for a pair of strong western Marquette County squads in the process.

The Eskymos tied Negaunee 4-4 to put the first blemish on the Miners’ record, while Esky also defeated Westwood 7-1.

In another match Thursday, Marquette fended off Kingsford 5-3.

Negaunee is scheduled to participate at the Kingsford Invitational on Saturday morning. The Miners, Westwood and Marquette are back on the courts for dual meets on Monday.

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Negaunee 4, Escanaba 4

At Negaunee, the Miners carried three of the singles flights, while the Eskymos did the same in doubles.

All three matches that were extended to three sets went Escanaba’s way.

Negaunee, which is now 10-0-1 following the tie, did get wins from No. 1 singles player Will Luke, No. 2 singles player Luke Syrjala and No. 4 singles player Mick Kumpula, along with the No. 4 doubles tandem of Nathan Marcotte and James Dank.

The closest of those matches was Kumpula’s 6-2, 6-2 win over Connor Smale.

“Will has continued to play solid all around,” NHS coach Kyle Saari said about his No. 1 singles player. “He’s a natural athlete who has always picked things up quickly. He’s off to a good start.

“Mick had a really good match and flipped his score from the prior meeting,” Saari added about his No. 4 singles player.

“With the way today unfolded our doubles learned a lot. Our feet weren’t the best today, and we left a lot of opportunities out there at the net. That’s a big thing to take away.”

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Escanaba 7, Westwood 1

At Westwood, the Patriots’ lone victor was Garrett Mann, who won a 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 decision over Shaun Beauchamp at No. 2 singles.

One other match went three sets, when Esky’s No. 2 doubles duo of Isaac Maki and Joe Hubert held off Westwood’s Andrew Niemi and Bryce Markham 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

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Marquette 5, Kingsford 3

At Marquette, the Redmen had little trouble in the five matches they won, including 6-0, 6-0 whitewashes by singles players Nick Olivier at No. 1, Connor Johnson at No. 2 and Jason Andary at No. 3. No. 4 Nate Barsch won by default.

In addition, Marquette’s No. 3 doubles team of Liam McFarren and Andrew King dropped Cale Harris and Charlie Christensen 6-2, 6-2.

Among the Redmen’s losses was one in three sets when the Flivvers’ No. 1 doubles pairing of Caleb Boone and Christie Gladowski outlasted Marquette’s Enzo Stabile and Toby Camilli 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

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Iron Mountain 7, Ishpeming 1

On Tuesday in Ishpeming, the Hematites’ No. 2 doubles tandem of Logan Hurkmans and Ben Rubick averted the shutout by winning 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 over IM’s Andrew Larsen and Lucas Kassin.

One other match also went three sets — at No. 4 singles, the Mountaineers’ Reece Kangas won 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 10-7 over Ishpeming’s Levi Giroux.

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Gladstone 4, Ishpeming 3

On Monday in Ishpeming, the Hematites won one singles flight and two in doubles as No. 4 singles was defaulted by both teams.

In singles, Giroux slid past Gladstone’s Sam Jensen 7-5, 6-3 at No. 3.

Then in doubles, Hurkmans and Rubick flew past Dragan Graham and Chad Britton 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2, while Alec Arvon and Julien Herman won by forfeit at No. 4.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.