BLUE EARTH – The Blue Earth Area Bucs and Luverne Cardinals tennis teams each had three match wins, leaving the meet’s outcome to the third doubles teams.

Carissa Engesser and Athena Thompson beat Mela Jarchow and Ainslie Robinson, 6-1, 6-2, to give the Bucs a 4-3 Big South Conference dual-meet win Monday at Schroeder Courts.

The two Bucs maintained full control throughout the match, winning the first set, 6-1. After a few deuce points, Engesser and Thompson capitalized on a misplayed ball from the Cardinals to go up 5-2. The duo then notched four straight points to record the 6-2 victory and meet win.

“One thing that they did today that they haven’t done a lot in the past is they were aggressive at the net. When they got the chance to put the shot away, they put it away today,” said Bucs head coach Konny Wolff.

Ironically, Engesser and Thompson were the only Bucs’ doubles win. Shelbie Nath joined forces with Sierra Wieneke to take a 6-4, 6-3, win over the Bucs’ No. 2 doubles netters McKenna Dutton and Tea Armstrong.

“Our No. 2 doubles team has probably been the most reliable doubles team. They lost today, and our No. 3 doubles pulled it out in the end and gave us the 4-3 win, so it’s nice to be on top,” Wolff said. “We’ve had a few (matches) that have gone the other way, so it’s a great win for us.”

Luverne’s No. 1 doubles players Kayla Rud and Natasha Thone defeated Maddie McCleary and Macie Stevermer in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

The Bucs’ strong point came in the singles column, where the team recorded three wins – two of which were three-set matches.

Malarie Scholtes went up 4-1 early to eventually take a 6-2 first-set win over Carissa Cunningham at the No. 2 singles spot. Cunningham erased her second-set deficit to even the match with a 6-4 win.

Scholtes reversed the score in the third set with a 6-4 decision to mark the Bucs’ first singles win.

Unlike Scholtes, Arika Howard was down early, losing the opening set 6-4 to the Cardinals’ Elise Jarchow. Howard responded with back-to-back 6-2 set wins to take the match.

Bucs’ No. 3 singles player Julia Hanson rallied from a 5-4 deficit against Riley Severtson and edged a 7-5 win. Hanson then closed out the match in the second set, 6-3.

“I think they’re starting to finally come through,” Wolff said. “We’ve lost a few of those three-setters and now we’re starting to win those, so that’s a good sign.”

The Cardinals’ lone singles win came from Sam Pierce, who trumped Gracie Leland, 7-5, 6-4 in the top singles position.

Blue Earth Area (5-6) travels to Waseca for a Big South Conference dual meet at 4:30 p.m. today.

Blue Earth Area 5, Tri-City United 2 – The Bucs captured three singles matches to help pace a 5-2 nonconference victory over the Titans on Saturday in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth Area’s Malarie Scholtes outslugged Guadalupe Ruiz in a close two-setter at first singles, 6-4, 7-6, (7-3).

Julia Hanson also claimed a second-set tiebreaker en route to a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) third singles victory over the Titans’ Alyssa Quist.

Arika Howard capped the Bucs’ singles victories by rallying for a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) decision over Amelia Schatz at the No. 4 spot.

Macie Stevermer and Maddie McCleary outlasted TCU’s Grace Smith and Faith Factor at No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, while BEA’s McKenna Dutton and Tea Armstrong rolled by Jaedyn Long and Thea Tietz at second doubles via back-to-back 6-1 set wins.

Kadi Lowe tallied the Titans’ singles point by netting a 6-2, 6-0 decision over Athena Thompson at the No. 2 position.

Kassidy Korbitz and Brittney Tiede combined at third doubles for TCU, squeezing out a 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Carissa Engesser and Serina Wirth.