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NEGAUNEE — The Negaunee tennis team looked to avenge its only loss of the season against Escanaba at Negaunee High School on Thursday.

The Miners had won four of the seven matches that were completed before the weather suddenly ended the meet that afternoon.

With rain in the forecast, the meet was moved a half hour earlier. But that wasn’t quite enough extra time to finish every match as the No. 2 singles hookup between Negaunee’s Gavin Saunders and the Eskymos’ Nate Howes was still going when the rain hit as Howes won the opening set, 6-2, while Saunders held a 6-5 lead with Howes trying to force a tiebreaker. The meet, at least at this point, goes down as an incomplete result.

Negaunee No. 2 doubles player Bryce Storms follows through on a return in a high school boys tennis meet against Escanaba at the Miners' courts on Thursday. (Journal photo by Travis Nelson)

However, the Miners did take four of seven matches, an improvement for them from a season-opening defeat in Escanaba on April 29.

“After that first meet with them when we got beat 5-3, that was the first meet of the year, so instantly, our goal became to try and flip that score from 3-5 to 5-3,” Negaunee coach Kyle Saari said. “With the weather coming, it’s tough to say if that would’ve happened or not, but sitting on the doorstep (up) 4-3, we know Gavin (Saunders) at No. 2 singles played a great match today, and we feel that he can kind of continue to push his flight, too.

“We like the progress that we made, and it’ll be interesting to see where we’re at (today) when we see them again at the Kingsford Invite.”

Negaunee won all three completed singles matches, while Escanaba won three of four in doubles.

The Miners got a victory from Luke Syrjala at No. 1 singles over Escanaba’s Gunner Dlugas, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). Syrjala was up 5-0 in the second set before Dlugas completed a huge rally to force a tiebreaker, but ultimately fell short. Syrjala lost to Dlugas earlier in the season, and he had to dig deep to come away with this one after building a big lead.

Negaunee No. 1 singles player Luke Syrjala readies to make a return in a high school boys tennis meet against Escanaba at the Miners' courts on Thursday. (Journal photo by Travis Nelson)

“I give both of them credit in the second (set),” Saari said. “We always talk about before the season starts that we’re going to be in a position at some point down 5-0, and you have to find a way to climb back. That’s exactly what the Esky kid (Dlugas) did, he’s played No. 1 singles last year and in the past, so he kind of knows what to expect there and how to grind out a match, so he showed a lot of mental toughness to get back in it.

“On the other side, Luke did a great job in the tiebreaker, making him reset himself mentally, and was able to get off to a good jump and carry him to seven (points) and pull that out.”

Saunders had to rally back for the Miners after dropping the first set to force a tiebreaker in the No. 2 singles match against Howes. On the breaking point, Saunders took a 5-2 lead before Howes had a comeback of his own to make it 6-5 before the rain.

Solid performances turned in by Tyler Lajimodiere at No. 3 singles and Mick Kumpula at No. 4 helped guide Negaunee as well. Lajimodiere defeated Connor Smale, 6-1, 6-4, while Kumpula cruised past Jackson Cousineau, 6-0, 6-1.

The Eskymos controlled doubles, winning three.

Esky’s Isaac Maki and Dawson Williams made quick work of Negaunee’s Jace Turri and James Thomson, 6-0, 6-2. Gavin Downey and Bryce Storms won their No. 2 doubles match in Escanaba earlier in the season, but this time dropped it to Parker LaFond and Josep Montal, 6-3, 6-2. Troy Delvaux and Evan St. Peter corralled the third and final doubles victory for the Eskymos at No. 3 doubles, dropping Gavin Jacobson and Zack Brundage, 7-5, 6-2.

NHS picked up its only doubles victory at No. 4, where Carter Piziali and Brandon Borlace defeated Braly Pierce and Sam Rivera, 7-5, 6-1.

“I thought it was an excellent day, we’re not used to playing in 88-degree weather when we first started, so that was an experience, especially playing two matches with weather that warm,” Escanaba coach Tom Penegor said after also facing Westwood. “It was fun and it was close, and we thought it would be close.

“Our kids played well, Negaunee played well, it came down to basically a tie. We get to play them again in two days (today) at the Kingsford Invitational, so that’ll be a good match again. Whoever’s playing well on any given day, I think is what’s going to happen.”

Each team will be a part of today’s six-team field at the Kingsford Invitational that begins at 10 a.m. EDT.

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.