Recap

Brewers Defeat United in Closely Contested Match

Brewers Mixed Doubles Narrowly Beat United

The Eastern Split has seen all kinds of great pickleball. This one between United’s Matt Kawamoto and Hannah Blatt and the Brewers Mark Cleminson and Christina Chin was great overall. Chin and Cleminson just had that little extra and didn’t make as many unforced errors in a tight 15-13 triumph.

The Brewers opened the scoring with a mini flurry, highlighted by a tricky Cleminson set-up on United and then some cohesive dinking between Chin and Cleminson to go up 3-0. Chin, though, followed up with two straight returns into the net to allow United back in. The teams swapped points as United showed great dinking ability, until Cleminson blasted an overhand bomb to put the Brewers up 6-4, followed by a scintillating Kawamoto forehand to make it 6-5. The Brewers took an 8-6 lead into side change, thanks to a Chin “Ernie” that hit Blatt and seeing eye Cleminson lob.

The second half followed the same furious back-and-forth pattern, as Cleminson continued to show his considerable paddle skills, and combining with Chin to keep the Brewers ahead, by slim margins mind you. Blatt and Kawamoto, even though they were down much of this tilt, showed great patience and made great shots of their own, including a Blatt forehand winner and a Kawamoto backhand screamer that made the score 12-11 Brewers. A few points later, the teams were tied 13-13, but the Brewers won on serve after a tremendous dinking rally.

Brewers Clip United in Second Mixed Doubles Tilt

In a near carbon copy of the first mixed doubles game, the Brewers duo of Jeff Elwood and Susan Pound narrowly escaped with a 15-13 victory over United’s Daniel Gottfried and Martina Wynia. The one difference in this entertaining game was that United got off to a fast starting, building a 3-1 lead with Wynia smacking Pound with an “Ernie” and then she and Gottfried dinking their way to another point.

The Brewers tied it up on United unforced errors, but immediately gave those points back, until Pound hit a screamer that eluded United to make the score 5-4. From there, the Brewers played well enough to send the teams to side change with the Brewers up again, 8-6.

The second stanza saw both teams trade points on several unforced errors, however United’s Wynia did play a superb set-up for a point and Gottfried “Ernied” Elwood for another to get the teams to a 10-10 tie. This enigmatic contest saw some great dinking and shot making, but the unforced errors really reared their ugly head when Pound hit net on serve to make the score 12-12. United took a 13-12 lead on another net return by the Brewers, but couldn’t counter Pound and especially Elwood, who smoked forehand and overhand winners to give the Brewers a hard-earned win and a stranglehold on the match.

United Women Give Team a Chance with Tight Defeat of Brewers

Another game, another 15-13 result. But, this time, the script wasn’t quite the same, with the United team of Martina Wynia and Hannah Blatt literally escaping with a win over the Brewers Christina Chin and Susan Pound.

Needing a win to keep their team in contention in the match, Wynia and Blatt got off to a superb start, dinking well and having the good fortune of seeing too many Pound returns find the Selkirk net or go long to go ahead 5-0. It was quite uncharacteristic of the hard-hitting Pound, but the game was far from over. The Brewers did manage to score three but went into side change down 8-3 to a United team determined not to let a lead slip away.

The break didn’t make much of a difference, as United extended the lead to 12-4 on some Brewers miscommunication and another net return by Pound. United was in the driver’s seat – but the Brewers bus was about to get in their lane. Pound found her stroke again and combined with Chin on great defense-to-offense transition to score five straight points, forcing a United timeout at 12-9.

Undaunted, United built the lead back up to four and a 14-10 freeze, with the Brewers looking all but defeated. But, in true fashion, Pound hit a big forehand winner, followed by another great offensive charge and a Chin overhand smash to make it 14-13. Fittingly, though, United stayed alive in the match when Pound hit the net on return for United game point.

Brewers Men Hold Off Late Charge by United to Secure Match

As this four-game match went, this game between the Brewers pair of Mark Cleminson and Jeff Elwood and United’s Matt Kawamoto and Daniel Gottfried was just as tight and exciting. Cleminson and Elwood got the upper hand early, despite a long serve that tied the game at 2-2.

The Brewers were then the fortunate recipient of easy points when Kawamoto and Gottfried hit errant returns to hand the Brewers a 7-3 lead. United took a timeout, only to be on the wrong end of a Cleminson flick to send the two squads to side change and the Brewers leading 8-3.

The second half opened with United dinking well and Kawamoto slamming a forehand winner. Elwood, however, announced his presence with a big “Ernie” that hit Gottfried square. That seemed to ignite United, who began to chip away at the lead with outstanding defense and dinking, and the Brewers leaving returns short or side out to get the score to 9-8 Brewers.

Momentum shifted, again, with the Brewers rallying to go up 11-9, but United wouldn’t back down dinking and displaying great defensive awareness to knot proceedings at 11-11. Alas, a complete United comeback was not to be. The Brewers put a fine finishing touch on this match win, rallying and transitioning from defense to offense and hitting a couple blazing returns to win it, including Elwood’s final forehand flick that eluded both Kawamoto and Gottfried.