DOUBLES VISION — Fairmont’s Tyler Slama (left) hits a forehand return as second doubles teammate Sebastian Castro watches the shot during Big South Conference tennis action against New Ulm on Monday at the Cardinal Courts in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Cardinals tennis team dropped its overall record to 1-1 on the early season after losing a 7-0 Big South Conference dual-meet decision to the New Ulm Eagles on Monday at Cardinal Courts in Fairmont.

“They’re a pretty tough team,” Fairmont head coach Eric Johnson said. “I thought we played pretty well, but we just couldn’t string together three or four points to win enough games.”

The Cardinals won their share of games, but they couldn’t get the service break when they needed it.

In the four singles matches, the Cardinals lost each one in straight sets, but won 24 games during the eight sets.

Fairmont’s Jack Hagen and Dominic Lund-May lost identical 6-3, 6-3 set outcomes to Mav Johnson and Ben Brownfield, respectively, at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Hagen and Lund-May hit their share of winners, but not enough to prevent the overall losses.

Fairmont’s Noah Vetter had the most singles success, winning seven games during a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Thomas Schwartz at No. 3 singles.

At the No. 4 singles spot in the lineup, the Cardinals’ Anthony Stegge lost a 6-2, 6-3 decision to the Eagles’ Keenan Davis.

Fairmont’s Carter Quist and Olivia Ortega played a good match at No. 1 doubles, but dropped both sets by scores of 6-3 to Nathaniel Janesen and Leo Walad.

Quist and Ortega had the same dilemma as Hagen and Lund-May, earning several points off well-placed shots or strong serves, but the duo of Janesen and Walad had more winners and were able to get the services breaks they needed to win the match.

Fairmont’s No. 2 doubles duo of Tyler Slama and Sebastian Castro earned the most game wins of any of the seven spots in the lineup, but lost an eventual 6-4, 6-4 decision to Rylan O’Neill and Aaron Black at No. 3 doubles.

Wylee Frederiksen and Simone Castro lost 6-2, 6-1, to Joey Kotten and Gideon Hines. Frederiksen and Simone Castro were the final Fairmont varsity team playing on the courts.

“They (the Eagles) have more experienced players and they were able to get the big points when they needed them,” Johnson said. “We were in our matches, but they got the breaks in the matches we couldn’t get.”

Fairmont (1-1) plays host to Pipestone Area at 4:30 p.m. today at the Cardinal Courts in Fairmont, while New Ulm (4-1) hosts Worthington at 4:30 p.m. today. Both upcoming dual meets are Big South Conference contests.

New Ulm 7, Fairmont 0

Singles Brackets

• Mav Johnson (NU) def. Jack Hagen, 6-3, 6-3.

• Ben Brownfield (NU) def. Dominic Lund-May, 6-3, 6-3.

• Thomas Schwartz (NU) def. Noah Vetter, 6-3, 6-4.

• Keenan Davis (NU) def. Anthony Stegge, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles Brackets

• Nathaniel Janesen-Leo Walad (NU) def. Carter Quist-Olivia Ortega, 6-3, 6-3.

• Rylan O’Neill-Aaron Black (NU) def. Tyler Slama -Sebastian Castro, 6-4, 6-4.

• Joey Kotten-Gideon Hines (NU) def. Wylee Frederiksen-Simone Castro, 6-2, 6-1.