Three-set wins push Newton girls past Pella Christian

The Newton girls tennis team won more three-set matches on Thursday than Pella Christian won in total.

And those close wins pushed the Cardinals to a Little Hawkeye Conference victory over the Eagles at Aurora Heights Park.

Lauryn Garrett, Madison Rinehart and Izzy Wilson all were part of two wins and the Cardinals won four of their five three-set matches during a 7-4 home triumph.

Both wins by Rinehart were three-set thrillers. She won her No. 3 singles match 6-1, 2-6, 10-4 before teaming up with Alexis Dirksen to win 7-5, 4-6, 11-9 at No. 3 doubles.

Garrett, Olivia Hotchkin and Wilson scored the other singles victories.

Garrett won 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 1 singles, while Hotchkin posted a 4-6, 6-2, 10-2 win at No. 4 singles and Wilson won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5 singles.

Garrett and Wilson needed three sets to win their match at No. 2 doubles. They dropped the first set 6-2 before rallying to win 6-3 and 10-7.

The final Newton win came at No. 4 doubles where Paige Benson and Brooklyn Sterling won 6-2, 6-2.

The Cardinals (3-1, 2-0 in the conference) were defeated 10-1 by the Eagles (2-2, 1-2) last season. The only win for Newton was a three-set doubles victory.