Laguna Blanca gave perennial Division 4 boys tennis power Redlands a battle before dropping a 10-8 decision on Friday in Redlands.
The Owls rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the first round and tied the match 6-6 in the second round. Ben Furukawa and Phillip Hicks notched singles wins and Martin Barnick/Tristan Prinz earned their second set win to spark the team in the second set.
Furukawa and the Barnick/Prinz duo posted wins in the third set. Redlands won the four other sets to take the match.
“We had our chances, but came up just short today,” Laguna coach Trevor Thorpe said. “Redlands will most likely be seeded in the top four in D4 when the first poll comes out next week, and we almost got them. So we’re feeling okay about the performance.”
Prinz returned from a severe ankle injury for the Owls.
