The Marshalltown girls’ tennis team suffered its fourth defeat in as many dual meets this season, falling to Ottumwa 8-3 on Tuesday at the Marshalltown Court Complex.

The contest was decidedly closer than the final score, as the top two singles matches were both one game away from tiebreakers. Marshalltown (0-4) won two of the three battles that lasted into third-set super-tiebreakers, but the Bobcats couldn’t change the momentum elsewhere.

The lone singles win for MHS came from Rebekah Downs at No. 3, where she rallied past Ottumwa’s Josie Young 4-6, 6-2, (13-11). Her win prevented the Bulldogs (2-1) from sweeping MHS right out of the gate as Marshalltown’s top singles player Cassandre Lecompte suffered her first loss of the season. Lecompte was edged out by Ally Paris, 7-5, 6-4, while Kiley Heller held off Regan Smith at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 7-5.

“Some very close matches tonight,” said MHS head coach John Fiscus. “The wind played a big factor in the meet for both teams. Downs had a great come-from-behind singles match, down in the super-tiebreaker 3-9 and came all the way back to win 13-11.”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Ottumwa had sealed the dual by the time Marshalltown made away with the Nos. 4 and 5 doubles contests. Emily Diggins and Grace Bethel got the Bobcats on the board with a 4-6, 6-2, (10-7) win at No. 4, while Claire Bohan and Taylor Jones tallied a 7-5, 6-3 triumph at No. 5.

“Victories at No. 4 and No. 5 doubles were awesome,” Fiscus said. “The team keeps improving each day.”

The Bobcats take a week off to prepare for their next contest, an April 20 dual at Des Moines North.

Ottumwa 8, Marshalltown 3

Singles

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Ally Paris (O) def. Cassandre Lecompte, 7-5, 6-4

Kiley Heller (O) def. Regan Smith, 6-4, 7-5

Rebekah Downs (MHS) def. Josie Young, 4-6, 6-2, (13-11)

Addison Grade (O) def. Kaitlyn Tiernan, 6-2, 6-3

Josie Vonderhaar (O) def. Brianna Hargrave, 6-1, 6-0

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Beverly Bishop (O) def. Emily Diggins, 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

Paris and Heller (O) def. Lecompte and Smith, 6-4, 5-7, (10-8)

Young and Vondehaar (O) def. Downs and Hargrave, 6-1, 6-2

Grade and Bishop (O) def. Tiernan and Chesni Uhde, 6-3, 6-4

Diggins and Grace Bethel (MHS) def. Delanie Handling and Madison Stinson, 4-6, 6-2, (10-7)

Claire Bohan and Taylor Jones (MHS) def. Gissellen Turrado and Hannah Lisk, 7-5, 6-3