Two tight singles sets helped Mexico edge Moberly 5-4 on Tuesday evening at the Fairgrounds Park courts.

Bryson Stuehmer rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat Isaiah Lopez 10-7 while Haden Frazier out dueled Keegan Steward 10-8 in a set that teetered back and forth.

It was enough to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 run in singles play, offsetting the Spartans early 2-1 advantage after the doubles round.

“Moberly and Mexico are always neck and neck when it comes to tennis,” Bulldogs head coach Tony Senor observed. “This was a total team effort.”

For a time, however, proceedings favored the visitors. Carter McIntosh took four games from Max Meystrik, but could not get closer. And Randy Hernandez fell 10-3 to a tough foe in the number one slot.

“He was quick,” Hernandez said of Moberly’s Nick Faiella. “I was not having a good day, but those three wins – I was hitting some shots.”

But Brendan McKeown and Ryan Pemberton had more comfortable outings in the singles round. McKeown bested Brayden Morgan 10-1 while Pemberton claimed a handy 10-2 win over William O’Loughlin.

“I was having the time of my life out there,” Pemberton said. “But I could definitely get more consistent on serves.”

Pemberton teamed with Frazer for the Bulldogs’ lone doubles point. The pair took a hard-fought 10-5 win. Coach Senor shook up the doubles lineup, teaming McIntosh with Stuehmer and putting McKeown alongside Hernandez – an unfamiliar one and five partnership.

“Randy and I have never played doubles together,” McKeown pointed out, adding that the teamwork felt different. “It was a good match, we just didn’t pull it off.”

The duo lost a tough one, 10-6. Stuehmer and McIntosh fell 10-3.

JV was all Mexico. Noah Harlan and Dominic McKeown faced the toughest test, passing it 7-5 in an extra game.

The team of Matthew Huemann and Andrew Stephens, and the team of Zeven Ruiz and Declan Gleeson dropped just two games. Gleeson joined with Andrew Pemberton to cruise 6-1 while Nathan Bull and Trent Lierheimer also lost a single game.