LAPEL–Sometimes the game is closer than the score shows and sometimes the game is not nearly as close as the score would indicate.

Thursday’s county semifinal win for Lapel tennis would be an example of the latter situation.

The Bulldogs swept through the three singles matches in little more than a half hour, dropping just two games in the process, on their way to a 3-2 win over Alexandria and advance to the Madison County finals.

Lapel (5-0) will host Pendleton Heights (5-0) at 4:30 p.m. today in a bid for an unprecedented fourth straight county crown.

“It’s nice to come out, take care of business, and get three points on the board,” Lapel coach Justin Coomer said. “They played well and stayed focused the whole time.”

The first point for the Bulldogs came courtesy of No. 3 singles player Austin Lyons. The senior dispatched Derek Steinfeld 6-0, 6-0 in just under a half hour.

Almost as quickly, but in similarly dominant fashion, No. 1 singles Joseph Conrad and No. 2 singles Jesse McCurdy finished off their matches to clinch the victory for Lapel.

Conrad routed Avery Paddock 6-0, 6-0, and McCurdy knocked off Trevor Simison 6-1, 6-1.

Alexandria won both doubles matches, requiring third set tiebreakers for each.

Dane Hueston and Matt Ethrington beat Zach Krebs and Reid Ratzlaff 6-7 (10-12), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in the No. 1 doubles match and Sam Hensley and Peyton Abbott edged Dawson Allen and Ross Hagen 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in two hotly contested matches.

“I knew both their doubles would be tough,” Coomer said. “I really liked how we played and we can build off of that.”

The road to the finals for the Arabians included a 4-1 win over Anderson in the first round and a 5-0 victory at Elwood in the semi-finals. Coomer expects Pendleton Heights to be ready.

“I know (PHHS) lost all their doubles players, but they return all their singles guys,” he said. “We just have to be ready to go, it’s nice to play at home for the finals.”