Freeport’s No. 1 singles man, Nate Smail, capped a big win for the Falcons over visiting Yarmouth on Wednesday, May 11. Smail turned in a gritty win over Clipper Sam Potter to secure a straight-sets W for himself and a narrow, 3-2 triumph for the team.

“Nate was a little off his game and struggled to deal with Potter’s style of play,” said Freeport head coach Jay Harper. “But he hung in and ground out a tough win.”

The 7-5, 6-4 victory bumped Smail to 5-2 this season.

In No. 2 singles action, Smail’s younger brother, John, won a marathon battle with Erik Salmon.

“The two played extremely long points,” said Harper, “and most games went to deuce. In the clinching game, John went up 40-0, then Salmon won three straight points to even things at deuce. But Smail dug deep and won the next point on a long exchange.

“On the last point, Salmon ripped a passing shot that hit the top of the tape and bounced over the net, but spun right and landed a half-inch out of bounds. John won the match, which tied the [afternoon] at 2-2 and put pressure on Nate to clinch the victory,” he said.

Liam Gould, the Falcons’ No. 3 singles man, fell 6-3, 6-2 to the Clippers’ Ravi Patel, who Harper praised as “a very consistent player.”

The Falcons’ first doubles tandem, Evan McKittrick and Painter Soule, also succumbed to their Yarmouth opposition. McKittrick and Soule took their first set versus Max Allen and Matt Clinton and “were leading 5-2 in the second set, before Clinton and Allen righted the ship and reeled off four straight games,” Harper said. Clinton and Allen ultimately prevailed in the tiebreaker, and thereby took the bout.

Emmett Smith and Jordan Grotz, Freeport’s No. 2 doubles duo, won in straight sets over Clippers Tyler Veilleux and Hunter Harrington, 6-1, 7-6 (2). Harper applauded Smith and Grotz, saying they “played well.”

The result improved Freeport improved to 3-4 in 2016. The Falcons currently rank seventh in B South, one slot ahead of Mountain Valley (2-6) and one back from the Clippers (2-5). Only the top seven teams advance to the tournament, and as the season is more than half over at this point, the win versus Yarmouth is clearly a huge pick-up.

Freeport hosted Falmouth (first in A South at 6-0) on Monday, May 16, after the Tri-Town Weekly’s print deadline. They welcome Kennebunk (13th in A South at 1-7) on Wednesday the 18th.

Painter Soule returns a doubles ball in Freeport’s match with visiting Yarmouth on Wednesday, May 11.

Freeporter Liam Gould ran up against a tough opponent in Ravi Patel of Yarmouth last Wednesday, and ultimately fell.

Falcons’ doubles player Evan McKittrick volleys during last Wednesday’s battle with Yarmouth.

Freeporter Emmett Smith is one-half the team’s No. 2 doubles duo, alongside Jordan Grotz. The pair won their duel with Yarmouth last Wednesday, May 11, in straight sets.

Jordan Grotz returns a ball for Freeport vs. Yarmouth last Wednseday.

John Smail volleys with his Yarmouth opponent in the teams’ matchup on Wednesday the 11th.