photo by: Nick Krug

Lawrence High's Elliott Abromeit sends a return over the net to Free State's Cooper Rasmussen during 6A Regionals on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Rock Chalk Park.

Teaming back up for the second straight postseason, Free State High junior Ian Pultz-Earle and sophomore Erik Czapinski raised their expectations for regionals and state.

The doubles duo accomplished their first goal at the Class 6A regional, finishing runner-up on Saturday at Rock Chalk Park. They were two of the six city players who qualified for the state tournament, including Free State juniors Seamus Ryan and Jonah Pester, freshman Sawyer Nickel and Lawrence High senior Elliott Abromeit.

Pultz-Earle and Czapinski, seeded No. 2 entering the tournament, won their first three matches with relative ease, cruising to straight-set victories.

In the championship against top-seeded Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Tyler Garland and Reagan Walsh, the Firebirds gave them a much tougher look than their previous meeting during the season, losing 7-5, 6-3.

“I haven’t had those good of returns in ages,” Czapinski said. “Some of those plays, I pulled out of I don’t know where.”

Czapinski usually provides the vocal presence and Pultz-Earle is more reserved until he belts out, “Let’s go!” after big points. Their second-place finish helped the Firebirds take second in the team standings with 12 points. LHS tied for sixth with five.

It’s the second straight season Ryan and Pester have qualified for state as a doubles pairings, but Saturday was their first time playing together this year.

In their match to qualify for state, Ryan and Pester lost the first set and dropped the first two games of the second set. With elimination nearing, they fought back and won six of the next eight games before winning in the third set.

“I feel like once we clicked today, it went all uphill,” Ryan said after they took fifth place. “I think we just really get along well on and off the court, so that really helps.”

Abromeit, on his 18th birthday, qualified for state when he completed a 2 1/2-hour marathon against Nickel, winning 5-7, 7-6 (5), [10-5] in the quarterfinals.

In the second set, Abromeit led, 5-2, before Nickel won four straight games. One game away from losing the match, Abromeit regained his focus to force a third set, then jumped to a quick lead in the third set super tiebreaker, winning on match point with an ace.

“It was who could last the longest,” Abromeit said.

The friendly rivals were competitive with a spot for state on the line. Abromeit asked for a line judge at the end of the second set. But then there were light-hearted moments, including Nickel apologizing to Abromeit for a backhanded winner that landed on the line.

“It’s just brotherhood and we know each other and we know how to play,” Nickel said. “It’s always fun playing him.”

Abromeit, in front of his prom group who watched before their dinner reservations, fought back from a one-set deficit for the second time in the third-place match. In visible pain from a long day on the courts, he went to some experienced tricks — and a few gulps of Pedialyte — to dispatch Olathe North’s Noah Crist 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.

“I haven’t really reverted back to my old style of play of just hitting high and heavies but it really worked wonders since I couldn’t move very well,” Abromeit said.

After the loss to Abromeit, Nickel won his next two matches to earn fifth place. In Nickel’s last match, it was another three-set thriller and they were the last players on the court for the last hour.

Fighting through a blister on his right middle finger, which he used to hold his racket, and a pulled quad, Nickel outlasted Olathe East’s Carson Fitzgerald for a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory.

Class 6A regional

Saturday at Rock Chalk Park

Team scores: Olathe Northwest 13, Free State 12, Olathe South 8, Shawnee Mission Northwest 8, Olathe East 6, Lawrence 5, Olathe North 5, Gardner-Edgerton 1.

Singles

Elliott Abromeit, LHS (3rd place, qualified for state): def. Cooper Rasmussen, FS, 6-2, 6-2; def. Sawyer Nickel, FS, 5-7, 7-6 (5), [10-5]; lost to Thompson Tong, ONW, 6-1, 6-3; def. Noah Crist, ON, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Zach Bowie, LHS: lost to Noah Crist, ON, 6-0, 6-0.

Sawyer Nickel, FS (5th place, qualified for state): def. Marcus Watts, OE, 6-1, 6-0; lost to Elliott Abromeit, LHS, 5-7, 7-6 (5), [10-5]; def. Sam West, GE, 6-1, 7-5; def. Carson Fitzgerald, OE, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1.

Cooper Rasumussen, FS: lost to Elliott Abromeit, LHS, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles

Sam Allen/Brendan Connor, LHS: lost to Jonah Pester/Seamus Ryan, FS, 7-5, 6-1.

Jonathan Kinder/Austin Butell, LHS: lost to Ian Pultz-Earle/Erik Czapinski, FS, 6-1, 6-1.

Ian Pultz-Earle/Erik Czapinski, FS (2nd place, qualified for state): def. Jonathan Kinder/Austin Butell, LHS, 6-1, 6-1; def. Lucas Hanerhoff/Jack Murphy, OS, 6-1, 6-0; def. Alden Vogel/Braden Fain, OE, 6-3, 6-4; lost to Reagan Walsh/Tyler Garland, SMNW, 7-5, 6-3.

Jonah Pester/Seamus Ryan, FS (5th place, qualified for state): def. Sam Allen/Brendan Connor, LHS, 7-5, 6-1; lost to Reagan Walsh/Tyler Garland, SMNW, 6-2, 6-2; def. Alex Atzenweiller/Saatatya Chakraborty, ON, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; def. Lucas Hanerhoff/Jack Murphy, OS, 6-3, 7-5.