Bay Area Breakers MLP St. Louis Thriller: The Bay Area Breakers secured a narrow victory over the California Black Bears on Thursday at Chaifetz Arena during the Marathon Major League Pickleball (MLP) St. Louis event. The win improves the Bay Area Breakers’ record to three wins, while the California Black Bears move to two wins.
Back-and-Forth Matches in Doubles Play
The match began with a strong showing by the Bay Area Breakers in women’s doubles. Alix Truong and Angie Walker defeated Layne Sleeth and Lina Padegimaite 11-6.
The California Black Bears fought back in the men’s doubles, where Michael Loyd and Juan Benitez beat Darrian Young and Jonathan Truong 11-9.
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Mixed Doubles: See Each Team Winning One
In the first mixed doubles match, Lina Padegimaite and Michael Loyd dominated, defeating Darrian Young and Angie Walker 11-1 for the California Black Bears.
The Bay Area Breakers responded in the second mixed doubles match. Darrian Young and Angie Walker took down Layne Sleeth and Juan Benitez 11-6, tying the overall match score.
Dreambreaker Decides the Winner
Since both teams had two wins each, the match was decided in the final Dreambreaker round. The Bay Area Breakers’ team of Darrian Young, Jonathan Truong, Angie Walker, and Alix Truong faced off against Michael Loyd, Juan Benitez, Layne Sleeth, and Lina Padegimaite of the California Black Bears.
In a very close contest, the Bay Area Breakers won the Dreambreaker 21-19, clinching the match victory.
| Match | Bay Area Breakers | vs | California Black Bears | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Doubles | Alix Truong / Angie Walker | vs | Layne Sleeth / Lina Padegimaite | 11 – 6 |
| Men’s Doubles | Darrian Young / Jonathan Truong | vs | Michael Loyd / Juan Benitez | 9 – 11 |
| Mixed Doubles 1 | Lina Padegimaite / Michael Loyd | vs | Darrian Young / Angie Walker | 11 – 1 |
| Mixed Doubles 2 | Darrian Young / Angie Walker | vs | Layne Sleeth / Juan Benitez | 6 – 11 |
| Dreambreaker | Darrian Young / Jonathan Truong / Angie Walker / Alix Truong | vs | Michael Loyd / Juan Benitez / Layne Sleeth / Lina Padegimaite | 21 – 19 |
Significance of the Win
This hard-fought win gives the Bay Area Breakers momentum as they continue their season. Meanwhile, the California Black Bears showed strong competition but will look to improve in future matches.
News in Brief: Bay Area Breakers MLP St. Louis Thriller
The Bay Area Breakers won a close 3-2 match against the California Black Bears at Marathon MLP St. Louis. After splitting the first four doubles matches, the Bay Area team won the final Dreambreaker 21-19. Bay Area now has three wins, while California Black Bears have two.
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