Sports

Boys Tennis: Riverhead shut out by Southold/Greenport

Riverhead freshman Jens Summerlin in action against Southold/Greenport senior Dylan Stromski on Tuesday. (Credit: Garret Meade)
Riverhead freshman Jens Summerlin in action against Southold/Greenport senior Dylan Stromski on Tuesday. (Credit: Garret Meade)

CLIPPERS 7, BLUE WAVES 0

Dylan Stromski had a choice to make before the high school boys tennis season started. The Southold/Greenport senior, who was an All-County doubles player last year along with Will Richter, had the choice of remaining at doubles or switching to singles. Doubles would have been the safe pick, but Stromski opted to play singles for the first time since he was a freshman. 

“I wanted to step up to the challenge,” he said.

And he has. All things considered, the move hasn’t turned out badly for Stromski, who has a 3-4 record as the Clippers’ first singles player.

At coach Andrew Sadowski’s urging, Stromski has made a point of aggressively going for winners when the opportunity presents itself and the time is right. Evidence of that spirit of nothing ventured, nothing gained could be seen on a windy Tuesday afternoon when Stromski posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over Riverhead freshman Jens Summerlin. It was part of a 7-0 sweep in points by the Clippers at Riverhead High School.

Stromski made 18 unforced errors to Summerlin’s seven, but he also put away 12 winners to the four by his younger opponent. Also, Stromski delivered 17 service aces against only one double fault.

The Clippers (4-4, 4-3 Suffolk County League VIII) also received two-set singles wins from Gary Prieto, Michael Shade and Greg Quist. Prieto was a 6-3, 6-0 victor against Dillon Fava-Wiggins; Shade prevailed in a second-set tiebreaker, 7-3, after taking the first set, 6-3; and Quist posted a 6-2, 6-2 result.

In the only doubles match that was played, Brian Hallock and Richter combined for a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Edgar Garcia and Steve Velasquez.

Because they didn’t have enough players, the Blue Waves (0-8, 0-8) forfeit second doubles and third doubles. They have been outscored in team points this season by 51-5.

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