The Blue Earth Area girls tennis team beat the Fairmont Cardinals Thursday afternoon in Section Tournament play.

The win propels them to round two, where they will face the No. 1 seeded St. Peter Saints today, Monday, Oct. 6, in St. Peter.

The Buccaneers played the Cardinals twice before this season. They won their first match of the year by defeating them 4-3. Later they lost by the same score, 4-3.

But on Thursday the Bucs made sure the match would not be as close as the first two, and won by a 5-2 score.

BEA and Fairmont split the four singles matches, but the Bucs took all three doubles to put the match away.

None of the doubles matches were very close.

Olivia Skaare and Jessica Skaare. playing at No. 1 doubles, defeated Rachel Tenner and Hayley Gref 6-2, 6-2.

By the identical same scores of 6-2, 6-2, Sam Hogstad and Mackenzie Lein beat Kale Murphy and Libby Humpal at No. 2 doubles.

No. 3 doubles Eli Johnson and Abby Nimz won over Casey Paris and Megan Fuhrmann 6-3, 6-2.

At No. 1 singles, BEA’s Emily Slama defeated Fairmont’s Kaitlyn Bloomgren 6-3, 6-2.

Jackie Klinkner beat Melissa Deboer 6-0 in the first game at No. 2 singles. Klinkner was leading 4-3 in the second game when Deboer had to withdraw due to an injury.

Fairmont got its two wins at No. 3 and 4 singles.

BEA’s Blaire Zierke lost to Kelly Bloomgren 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. At No.4 singles, Autumn Drake lost to Sydney Ruen 6-1, 6-0.

The Bucs win took their season record to 6-9, 2-5 in the South Central Conference.

If the Bucs win Monday, section play continues Tuesday and Thursday.

The individual Section Tournament will be held Oct. 13 and 14.