By Cort Reynolds
LIMA - The Bluffton boys tennis team's spring season came to a close after the first day of Div. II sectional play Thursday at UNOH.
No Pirates advanced to the semifinals in day two, although all three Pirate singles competitors won matches in the 35-player draw.
Bluffton's Luke Shadle won his first round singles match over Keaton Fishbaugh of Celina 6-0, 6-4. Shadle then defeated Dylan Byers of Elida 6-0, 6-1 in the round of 32.
Shadle was eliminated in the round of 16 by LCC's Brady Koenig 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Koenig then lost to second seed Mason Stahl of Shawnee 6-1, 6-0.
Pirate Bryan Zimmerman outlasted Noah Ketcham of Kenton in their first round battle 7-5, 0-6, 7-5. Top seed Gabe Burke of Shawnee then eliminated Zimmerman with a 6-0, 6-0 win.
Bluffton's Thad Mittendorf defeated Ada senior Cole Anspaugh 6-1, 6-3 in their round of 32 match. Fourth seed Eli Schmenk then defeated Mittendorf 6-0, 6-0 in the round of 16.
The Pirate tandem of Eden Nygaard and Grant Klingler battled but lost their doubles round of 32 match in three sets to Adam Stump and Seth Grieshop of Shawnee 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
The Shawnee duo then lost in the quarterfinals to the top-seeded O-G Carter/Colin Welch brothers team.
The other Bluffton doubles tandem of Conner Lee and Braeden Ackerman lost in the round of 32 by a 6-1, 6-1 count to O-G's Jaden Lehman and Josh Walls.
The O-G duo then lost in the quarterfinals.
