LUMBERTON — The Lumberton girls tennis team was without its No. 2 and 3 players when the Pirates faced Purnell Swett on Monday.

So the rest of the Pirates stepped up.

After the teams split the six singles matches, Lumberton won two of the three doubles matches to win the overall match 5-4. The second match in a doubleheader was canceled due to inclement weather.

“I had to move all my girls up,” Lumberton coach Tonia Ward said. “Except for my 1, she was the only one that played the position she was supposed to play. But after No. 2, my girls are pretty equal, as far as skill level goes, so I think it wouldn’t have mattered either way. They played hard; my girls don’t quit.”

Lumberton (7-6, 7-6 Sandhills Athletic Conference) battled to a 3-3 tie in singles play, including wins from No. 5 Emma Campbell, who beat Kylie Kirby 8-4, and No. 6 Grace Stone, who defeated Cynthia Locklear 8-2. Brittney Collins defeated Rams senior Lyric Locklear 8-0 in the No. 1 spot.

Purnell Swett (2-9, 2-9 SAC) got singles wins from No. 2 Raven Cummings (def. Beth McDonald 8-5), No. 3 Sydney Brooks (def. Gracie Britt 8-5) and No. 4 Jori Jones (def. Nellie Jackson 8-6).

“As they go we go, and I thought we were in the position to maybe pull out the match, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Purnell Swett coach David Leek said. “I thought we were prepared; I think our match before we were tied with Hoke County 3-3 in both matches, and one time we won two out of the three doubles, and the other time we won all three of the doubles matches. Just the matchups weren’t there.”

Collins/Britt defeated Locklear/Jones 8-1 in doubles play and Campbell/Stone beat Kilby/Peyten Jones 8-1, clinching the match for the Pirates. The Rams’ Cummings/Brooks topped McDonald/Jackson 8-4.

Monday’s match was the last of the season for Lumberton, who finished with a winning record by defeating the Rams.

“That was a pretty good season considering I had a lot of beginners,” Ward said. “I think it was a learning season for a lot of my girls. They’re working on their game, and I told them they’re going to have to work on it this summer because we’re playing in the fall next (school) year, I hope. So I think overall they are getting better, and they’ll continue to get better. I’m only losing two seniors and I had 16 girls (this season), so we’ll be a force.”

Jessica Sessoms, who did not play Monday, and McDonald are the two seniors who won’t return for the Pirates.

“I lost both of (my matches), but I played a hard game,” McDonald said. “I was down 5-0 and came back to (8-4). It’s kind of sentimental, kind of emotional because it’s the last game of my high school career, last time with my team. You play with girls for four years, you get kind of attached to them.”

Purnell Swett finishes an adversity-filled season Tuesday at Seventy-First.

“We’ve battled up here all season long with injuries and not being able to play at home, but it is what it is,” Leek said. “But the girls played hard. A lot of girls have played out of position, but you can’t cry over spilt milk, you have to line up and go. I’m proud of the team; they gave everything they had.”