PELLA — A pair of Class 1A vote-getters pushed the Marshalltown boys’ tennis team to the brink of defeat, but the Bobcats met their challengers head-on.

And they prevailed.

Marshalltown staved off host Pella and then North Polk in a non-conference triangular here Monday, eluding the host Little Dutch 8-3 before barely escaping the Comets, 6-5.

The Bobcats (10-2) ended a two-match losing streak in a strong showing of resilience from start to finish.

Marshalltown took a 3-2 lead on Pella through doubles before claiming five of six singles bouts to push past the host team. Two of the Bobcats’ singles victories went to a deciding third set, and both Elliot Kodis and Evan Roush rose to the occasion. Kodis won the No. 2 singles match over Brayden VanHorn in comeback fashion, 1-6, 6-1, (10-1), while Roush also rallied to beat Corbin VanDyke at No. 4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, (10-5).

Pella was no pushover, according to MHS head coach James Christensen, but North Polk nearly pushed the Bobcats over the edge.

Marshalltown again stormed to a 3-2 lead through doubles play, but North Polk countered to kick off singles action. Reigning 1A state singles runner-up Easton Moon marched to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Caleb Rasmussen at No. 1, and the Comets quickly knotted things up.

North Polk got another straight-set triumph at No. 4, though Roush resisted Cohen Richardson as long as he could before falling 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

Marshalltown countered with Kyle Smith’s 6-3, 6-2 sweep of Drew Fausch at No. 3, drawing even at 4-all. Evan Fowle fought past Marshalltown’s Parker Christen in a three-setter at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 4-6, (10-8), but Kodis came up with a big comeback win at No. 2 over Eli Pederson, 3-6, 6-4, (10-3).

All eyes turned to Jacob Seberger at No. 4, and the Bobcat junior delivered in thrilling fashion. Seberger collected the match-winning victory over Canon Krantz in dramatic fashion, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), (10-4).

“Some clutch performances from top to bottom today,” said Christensen. “Jacob Seberger will rightly get a lot of praise for clinching it against North Polk when the meet was tied 5-5, but he doesn’t have that chance if Kyle and Elliot don’t bring their ‘A’ game as well.”

Christensen praised Smith for his impact outside of his match as well.

“His leadership was in full view today, rallying the troops in between his own points and games,” Christensen said.

Eight of Marshalltown’s 22 matches went to a deciding third set, and the Bobcats claimed five of them.

Marshalltown’s No. 4 doubles team of Aaron Hunter and Jacob Hayes joined Seberger at No. 5 singles as the only players to go unbeaten in their spot during the day.

The competition continues as the Bobcats return to action Thursday with a triangular in Ames against No. 3 Johnson and the ninth-ranked host Little Cyclones. MHS entertains 1A No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock in a make-up match Friday at 9 a.m.

Marshalltown 8, Pella 3

SINGLES

Caleb Rasmussen (MHS) def. Trevin Sutton, 6-4, 6-2

Elliot Kodis (MHS) def. Brayden VanHorn, 1-6, 6-1, (10-1)

Ryker Jones (P) def. Kyle Smith, 6-3, 7-5

Evan Roush (MHS) def. Corbin VanDyke, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, (10-5)

Jacob Seberger (MHS) def. Hayden Johnson, 6-4, 6-2

Parker Christen (MHS) def. Daivik Patel, 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES

Rasmussen and Kodis (MHS) def. Sutton and VanHorn, 6-4, 6-4

Smith and Roush (MHS) def. Johnson and Malik Fisher, 6-1, 6-4

Jones and VanDyke (P) def. Seberger and Christen, 6-2, 6-3

Aaron Hunter and Jacob Hayes (MHS) def. Patel and Jamison Castle, 6-4, 7-5

Evan Smith and Porter Carlton (P) def. Max Scheier and Ben Wirin, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

Marshalltown 6, North Polk 5

SINGLES

Easton Moon (NP) def. Rasmussen, 6-0, 6-1

Kodis (MHS) def. Eli Pederson, 3-6, 6-4, (10-3)

Smith (MHS) def. Drew Fausch, 6-3, 6-2

Cohen Richardson (NP) def. Roush, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3

Seberger (MHS) def. Canon Krantz, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), (10-4)

Evan Fowle (NP) def. Christen, 6-3, 4-6, (10-8)

DOUBLES

Moon and Richardson (NP) def. Rasmussen and Kodis, 6-1, 6-0

Pederson and Fausch (NP) def. Smith and Roush, 6-3, 4-6, (10-8)

Seberger and Christen (MHS) def. Krantz and Fowle, 2-6, 6-1, (12-10)

Hunter and Hayes (MHS) def. Brecken Schlichte and Atlas Esdohr, 6-2, 6-0

Scheier and Zachary Rasmussen (MHS) def. William McDonnell and Abram Keil, 7-5, 7-5