Summer fever is reaching its peak, and as The Bruce Dickinson once said, the only prescription in more Pickleball! The day may have been wet and windy but the Pickle barn was red hot with some high flying bouts this week with 5 matches needing the full 3 games to decide a winner. Here are the highlights:
Match 1: The Morgan’s vs The Tegenkamp’s
Kicking off week 7 on short notice, the Morgan’s and Tegenkamp’s were on the court ready for battle. Both teams were testing each other out early, looking for the proverbial kink in the armor if you will as Game 1 was close. Points were at a premium with both sides showing some stout defense. Ross and Catlyn were able to pull through however for an 11-9 victory in game one. Swapping directions provided a jolt for Ross and Catlyn as they came out of the break white hot for a 9-0 lead. Todd and Michelle made a valiant comeback, but the Morgan’s strong season continued as they took the match with an 11-7 win in Game 2.
Match 2: The Tegenkamp’s vs The Brown’s (Mike & Jerica)
Fresh off a tight match, Todd and Michelle weer back on the court, this time with Mike and Jerica staring them down across the net. A combination of a little rust by the Brown’s and Todd’s need for a cold refreshment made this a quick battle with the Tegenkamp’s rolling to a straight set win, 11-0 & 11-3 to earn their first match win in CPL play this season.
Match 3: The Morgan’s vs Team Schmidt-kotter
Team Schmidt-kotter had a different look to it this week with Matt filling in for a vacationing Allison to take on the Morgan’s. While Allison was soaking up some sun, Matt was soaking in perspiration in his debut as he and Jess were proving to be a formidable foe for Ross and Catlyn. Game 1 went to the Morgan’s 11-7 and Game 2 proved to be an equally fun match for the legions of fans on tap. With the score 10-7 with the serve, Catlyn pulled off a brilliant shot down the line to win the match.
Match 4: The Tegenkamp’s vs Team Schmidt-kotter
Fresh off of a grueling bout, Jess and Matt were back on the court with Todd and Michelle looking to add to their winning streak on the evening. Michelle and Todd found their groove early in this one, racing out to an early lead and holding on 11-6 to take game 1. Game 2 saw the teamwork between Matt and Jess start to click and this quickly turned into a defensive slobber-knocker, with points hard to come by. This battle of attrition wound up needing extra points with Jess hitting the winning shot to earn the 12-10 win and force a fateful game 3. The third game was just as entertaining as the first 2 with both teams hitting terrific shots back and forth. Todd and Michelle were able to burst through in the final stages however to win 11-5 and add to their evenings win totals.
Match 5: The Brown’s (Mike & Jerica) vs The Morgan’s
Shot out of a cannon, Ross and Catlyn earned the night’s second pickle, besting Mike and Jerica 11-0 in Game 1. Ever the gentleman, Ross deferred the naked run for the Brown’s shut out to be a private event at their own residence. Game 2 would not be another pickle with Jerica and Mike getting on the board early. In the end, however, Ross and Catlyn proved to be too experienced and won 11-3 to earn another victory for the evening.
Match 6: The Brown’s (Kurtis and Chelsea) vs The Keck’s (Ryan and Katie)
Looking to prove themselves against one of the top teams in the standings, Katie and Ryan came out like a lion against Chelsea and Kurtis with a vicious slam by Ryan setting the tone on the first rally. Before you knew it, Game 1 was won by the Keck’s by a score of 11-6. After switching sides, Kurtis and Chelsea came out with a renewed sense of aggression and settled into their game. After what seemed like a 50 serve stretch and the game score stuck at 6-1, Chelsea and Kurtis broke through to go on and take the second game 11-3. Game 3 saw some terrific shots by all four picklers but in the end, The Brown’s earned the win 11-2 in a game that was much tighter than the score indicated.
Match 7: The Brown’s (Mike & Jerica) vs The Keck’s (R & K)
Ryan and Katie were on the court to face the Brown’s once again. This time, however, it was Mike and Jerica Brown slapping balls at them. Ryan and Katie were determined to get back on track and pounced on an early lead which they would never relinquish to take Game 1, 11-2. Jerica had to be pulled away to deal with an unruly fan so Catlyn stepped in to try to try to assist Mike. Katie and Ryan had other plans and mirrored Game 1 with another 11-2 win to earn the match.
Match 8: The Brown’s (K & C) vs The Morgan’s
Next up we had quite the battle with a pair of single-loss teams on tap battling for that playoff seeding. Game 1 was a treat, with some extended rallies and terrific shots by both teams which led to a tight match throughout. Catlyn and Ross held the lead late and were able to capitalize with an 11-8 win. In a familiar spot as their first match this evening, Kurtis and Chelsea roared back with a convincing 11-1 win in Game 2 to set up a final showdown in Game 3. The final stanza will go down as a classic in one of the best game in CPL history. The Game was close throughout with teams trading blows like Frazier vs Ali. By a narrow 11-9 margin however, the Brown’s came out on top to win the match and remain in a tie for the second overall seed.
Match 9: The Keck’s (R & K) vs The Miller’s
Fresh off of vacation mode, the Miller’s were back in the spotlight taking on Ryan and Katie in another epic battle. Matt and Renee showed a little rust early on from the week off, and that was just enough for Ryan and Katie to capitalize and win Game 1 by a score of 11-3. The rust was quickly knocked off, however, as Matt and Renee played Game 2 with a vengeance and won 11-1 to set up a winner take all Game 3. Both teams settled into a groove and all four participants demonstrated their developing skill sets for the fans. Katie came through in the clutch with a rip down the sideline just out of Matt’s reach to earn win the match by taking Game 3 11-5.
Match 10: The Miller’s vs The Wagner’s
Those who stuck around for the prime-time event were in for a treat as the Miller’s and Wagner’s put on a show. Renee’s tennis background proved to be a terrific weapon as she kept Juice and Sarah honest by returning everything deep in the court. Some terrific rallies routinely hitting the double digit mark on each serve kept the crowd engaged. Games 1 would go to Matt and Renee 11-7. Up 10-9 on the first serve, Matt and Renee were looking to close the door on the Wagner’s but a terrific sideline shot by Sarah and an impressive cross court dink by Juice earned the Wagner’s the serve back with a new sense of life. They utilized that momentum to score the next 3 points to win Game 2, 12-10. Game 3 was just as delightful as the rest of the match with both teams playing chess with their paddles and it came down to the wire with both teams looking for that final burst to pull through. It would be Matt and Renee who would find that mojo late to earn a hard-fought victory 11-7 in another instant classic.
Week 8 will be the final tune-up for all teams before the 2022 CPL Tournament of Champions on Saturday July 30th. Tune in next week for the final regular season bouts with playoff seeding on the line.