ST. PETER, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's tennis team didn't have to dodge any rain drops during Saturday's second day of the ITA Regional and Midwest Open — and the Cardinals took advantage of the ideal playing conditions.
 
Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, collecting a pair of singles victories to reach the consolation semifinals at the ITA Regional. The Cardinal senior opened the day with 8-4 and 8-2 wins, but could not lock up win No. 3, dropping an 8-2 decision to St. Scholastica's Jack Onkka.
 
Philip Apel (North Oaks, Minn.) rebounded from a Day 1 loss to post an 8-5 win over Northwestern's Charles Schultz, only to lost to Concordia-Wisconsin's Josh Klement in the following round.
 
Tucker Stene (Fridley, Minn.), Owen Fonder (Green Bay, Wis.), and Matt Besek (Winona, Minn.) all dropped singles matches on Saturday — Stene losing 8-6, while Fonder and Besek each suffered 8-0 setbacks.
 
DAY 1 RECAP:
Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.), Michael Johnson (Hastings, Minn.), and Zak Farley (Sartell, Minn.) all picked up opening-round singles wins at the Midwest Open on Friday to lead the way for the Cardinals. With rain forcing matches to be shortened to sets of four, Raabolle opened with a 4-2, 4-1 win over Mac Ness of Concordia, while Johnson also dispatched of a Cobber in his first match, beating Isaiah Soori 4-2, 4-0 for his first win as a Cardinal. Farley had to work a little more to record his first collegiate singles victory, outlasting Saint John's Evan Kostynick 3-5, 5-3, 10-7.
 
Raabolle fell short in his second match of the day, falling to Crown's Andrew Comings, while Johnson suffered a 4-1, 4-0 loss to Loras' Andrew Day and Farley lost to St. Scholastica's Alex Daignault, 4-0, 5-3.
 
Apel, Stene, Fonder, Besek, and Caden Rodning (Mason City, Iowa) weren't as fortunate in their opening-round matches. Apel, Rodning, Fonder, and Besek all dropped straight-set decisions, while Stene rallied from a set down, only to fall in three sets, 4-2, 2-4, 10-3.
 
In the Cardinals' lone singles match in the ITA Regional, Huemoeller came out on the short end of a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Luther's Louk Rijsdijk. Huemoeller then teamed with Raabolle, but were no match for third-seeded Myles Krzewinski/Elios Braind  of Carthage, falling 8-0.
 
Johnson and Farley kicked off doubles play in much the same fashion as they did in singles — with a win, as the tandem cruised to an 8-3 win over Crown's Gabe Gomez/Dawson Richardson. Rodning/Stene lost to Concordia's Logan Sandberg/Kai Pierce 8-0 and Apel-Besek dropped a heartbreaking 8-7 (4) decision in a match in which the Cardinal duo had seven match points, but could not come up with the winner.
 
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
ITA Singles
Evan Huemoeller lost to Louk Rijsdijk (Luther), 6-3, 6-2
Evan Huemoeller def. Patten (St. Scholastica), 8-4
Evan Huemoeller def. McCaffery (Carroll), 8-2
Evan Huemoeller lost to Jack Onkka (St. Scholastica), 8-2
ITA Doubles
Evan Huemoeller/Brandon Raabolle v. Myles Krzewinski/Elios Braind (Carthage), 8-0
 
Midwest Open Singles
Philip Apel lost to Harry Hawbaker (Coe), 4-2, 4-1
Philip Apel def. Schultz (Northwestern) 8-5
Philip Apel lost to Josh Klement (Concordia-WI), 8-1
Tucker Stene lost to Caden Nelson (Edgewood), 4-2, 2-4, 10-3
Tucker Stene lost to Peter Haryla (Luther), 8-6
Caden Rodning lost to Daniel Skrade (CC), 5-3, 4-0
Owen Fonder lost to Peter Haryla (Luther), 4-0, 4-0
Owen Fonder lost to Bob Hendzoy (Central), 8-0
Michael Johnson def. Isaiah Soori (CC), 4-2, 4-0
Michael Johnson lost to Andrew Day (Loras), 4-1, 4-0
Brandon Raabolle def. Mac Ness (CC), 4-2, 4-1
Brandon Raabolle lost to Andrew Comings (Crown), 7-5, 5-3
Zak Farley def. Evan Kostynick (SJU), 3-5, 5-3, 10-7
Zak Farley lost to Isaac Daignault, 4-0, 5-3
Matt Besek lost to Henry Condo (Loras), 4-2, 4-2
Matt Besek lost to Sam Ulcoa (MSOE), 8-0
Midwest Open Doubles
Johnson/Farley def. Gabe Gomez/Dawson Richardson (Crown) 8-3
Johnson/Farley lost to Sean Oslund/Joseph Haag (Wartburg), 8-2
Apel/Besek lost to Dominik Hendrickson/Luca Hettstedt (Stevens Point), 8-7 (4)
Rodning/Steven lost to Logan Sandberg/Kai Pierce (CC), 8-0