By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
NEW BERN — The Lady Pam Pack played terrific tennis on Thursday afternoon.
Washington had five girls qualify for next weekend’s NCHSAA Class 3-A East Region tournament on Thursday as they each finished among the top four at the Coastal Conference Class 3-A Individual Tennis Tournament in New Bern.
In singles action, Beth Batchelor, the tournament’s top-seed, cruised into the regional tournament by upending South Central’s Hannah Hines, 6-0, 6-3.
In doubles action, the combo of Mary Potocki and Janie Page breezed by D.H. Conley’s Lindsey Joyner and Kate Hanley, 6-1, 6-3. Potocki and Page were the No. 4 seed.
The biggest shocker of the day came from Washington’s No. 3 doubles team. The duo of Davey Ann Burbage and Shannon Niederhauser were assigned the No. 7 seed and squared off against South Central’s Elizabeth Campbell and Molly Hosteller, the top two players for the Falcons, and the tournament’s No. 2 doubles team.
After getting trounced 6-1 in the opening set, Burbage and Niederhauser rebounded to win the second set 7-6, as they won the tiebreaker 7-4. They then took it to Campbell and Hosteller in the third set, winning 6-3.
While the Pam Pack were thrilled to get five girls into the regional playoffs, they were disappointed with the tournament’s format.
The Coastal Conference didn’t elect to play out the tournament, instead opting to end it after all the qualifying spots had been wrapped up.
Tournament director Craig McClanahan, the Athletic Director at West Carteret, said that missing class time was the biggest concern.
Washington’s players were upset with that decision.
Batchelor agrees.