ELIZABETHTOWN — At last, home sweet home.

East Bladen played its first true home match in girls high school tennis Monday, taking to the newly resurfaced courts on campus. The Lady Eagles lost a tight match to Fairmont 5-4, barely missing team points in a third-set tie-breaker in singles, and absorbing doubles losses of 8-6 and 8-5.

“It felt a lot more like home,” said junior Lily Lin, a victor at No. 1 singles by 6-4, 6-4 scores over Ashton Turner.

The Lady Eagles (2-4, 1-3 Three Rivers) had opened the season utilizing Bladen County Park on U.S. 701. The complex there has just four courts; the campus facility has six.

Also posting singles wins were senior Gracyn Martin and sophomore Heather Hardin, each on the back courts where the wind didn’t stir as much. In doubles, Hardin-junior Carlie West triumphed.

“I got into my head too much,” Lin said of her trouble in closing out Turner. “I overthink it.”

Lin got an early break and led the second set 3-0, then 5-2. Her strong forehand helped early in the set, and a few short chips gave Turner more trouble.

“I tried not to think about the score,” Lin said of how she finally won. “I wanted to save some energy for doubles.”

Martin had the host’s most stirring victory. She lost to Lauren Barnes in the opening set 6-4, but rallied in the second set to win 6-4 and then took the tie-breaker 10-8.

“The third set she was up by six and I made a little comeback,” Martin said. “She was hitting them in the air and not letting them bounce.”

The former Lady Eagles volleyball player said her first season on the courts has gone well.

“I’m enjoying the game,” Martin said. “This is quite a bit different, but I like it.”

Hardin’s victory over Kierra Locklear was 6-3, 6-0. In doubles, Hardin-West defeated Kiley Oxendine-Lauren Barnes 8-3.

In the other matches, East Bladen junior Alyssa Futrell fell to Cambyl Scott 6-4, 6-1; West dropped a decision to Kiley Oxendine 6-4, 6-0; Jayden Willington lost to Mikiyah Hunt 6-2, 7-6 (1), (13-11); Lin-Futrell tumbled 8-6 to Turner-Scott; and Martin-junior Hannah Wheless lost to Locklear-Hunt 8-6.

Alan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Carlie West lost at No. 3 singles to Kiley Oxendine 6-4, 6-0.
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_prep-tennis-eb-fair-3-092017-1.jpgAlan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Carlie West lost at No. 3 singles to Kiley Oxendine 6-4, 6-0.

Alan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Heather Hardin was a winner at No. 5 singles 6-3, 6-0 over Kierra Locklear.
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_prep-tennis-eb-fair-2-092017-1.jpgAlan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Heather Hardin was a winner at No. 5 singles 6-3, 6-0 over Kierra Locklear.

Alan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Senior Gracyn Martin rallied from a set down to reach a third-set tie-breaker, then came from six points down in that to triumph on Monday.
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_prep-tennis-eb-fair-1-092017-1.jpgAlan Wooten | Bladen Journal
Senior Gracyn Martin rallied from a set down to reach a third-set tie-breaker, then came from six points down in that to triumph on Monday.

Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @alanwooten19.