Brian Bell | Marinette EagleHerald Escanaba’s Sophia Derkos returns a shot during a No. 2 singles match at Watertower Park in Menominee on Thursday.

MENOMINEE — One of the few fall sports cleared for play kicked off on Thursday as the Menominee girls tennis team took on Escanaba at Menominee High School and Watertower Park on Thursday.

Menominee had more luck than Escanaba in the season opener with the Maroons winning seven matches and Esky taking just one, and Menominee coach Nikki Mathieu was happy with her team’s performance after just three days of practice.

“It’s been a crazy time, but the girls got better as the games went on and we were able to come out with a win,” she said.

Esky’s Jacey Moreau took the first set from Menominee’s Jenna Nolde in No. 1 singles play, but Nolde won the final two sets 6-0, 6-0 to get away with a win, and at No. 2 singles Menominee’s Josie Hofer topped Sophia Derkos 7-6, 6-2.

In Esky’s only win of the match, Ukiah Penegor defeated Makenzie Wellner 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

Menominee got back on the winning track at No. 4 singles when Erin Barrette picked up her first career tennis win over Amanda Beem 6-3, 6-2.

The Maroons swept all four doubles matches, with the two closest games coming from Delaney McIntyre and Leslie Purcell against Bella LaVia and Jada VanBeek at No. 4 doubles as they came close in the first game but fell 7-6. The other near-win for Esky in doubles play was from Lilia Hughes and McKenna Bullen as they took Anna Nerat and Kennedy Olson to the wire in a 7-5 Game 2 loss. All Menominee doubles teams won their matches in two games.