The moon was on the horizon Tuesday when Owatonna defeated Albert Lea 4-3 at Albert Lea High School.

Taylor Nelson and Sarah McCann were still on the court hitting return shots and backhands in their No. 2 singles match, three hours after the two started playing.

Nelson fell short in her comeback effort against McCann and lost 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6 in an epic match that determined the winner between the two teams.

It was an amazing rally for Nelson who trailed by two games in the second set before rallying for the win and extending the match. Nelson’s second set win came just as the No. 3 doubles match concluded.

The Tigers team of Amy Bohlen and Jenna Sager were in position to win, up 3-0 in the third set, but wound up losing the third set 4-6. Briana Strohschein and Ali Kuehn won the first set 7-5, but Bohlen and Sager took the second set 6-2 setting up the stage for an exciting finish.

The loss drew spectators to the match at No. 2 singles and before the attention of all watching Nelson and McCann turned in an entertaining match. McCann grabbed a 3-0 lead early in the third set but Nelson, as she had all through out the match, came back to take two games. McCann and Nelson split the next five games.

The key for Nelson was limiting her mistakes.

“The girl from Owatonna was a great player and she kept being really consistent,” Nelson said. “I just have to be consistent and be able to hit the ball back over the net so she can be aggressive and make some errors.”

Head coach Sean Gillam said he couldn’t ask for much more out of Nelson and how she handled the match.

“We had a first set where it looked like the girls was going to roll on us and we still find a way to comeback and play hard and to come back after it,” Gillam said. “I don’t know if I can ask for any more than what she did there.”

It was the third match 3-4 match of the season the Tigers have dropped. It was a conference match Gillam would have liked to have won.

“This would have been a good one to get with what we have,” Gillam said. “We’ve got to continue to pick up and make sure we’re not making errors on shot that we have.”

Nelson feels that the team can learn from these close losses and improve in the final six matches of the season.

“I believe later in the season will be able to win it,” Nelson said. “Our team is doing so good right now, they’re doing way better than we ever have been and we can pull through.

In the other matches of the day Kelli Hanson won at No. 1 singles, defeating Courtney Hayford 6-3, 6-4. Alyssa Schutter def. Michelle Hartmann at No. 3 singles 6-2, 6-3 and Caitlyn Hayford defeated Kellsie Dieser 6-4, 6-0.

Albert Lea (4-7, 0-4) nearly came away with a sweep in doubles as both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles won matches. Erika Blickenderfer and Mikaela Pierson won 6-3, 6-4 over Chantel Getting and Steph Battleson. Sarah Wenum and Alarie Maras cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Debbie Peterson and Rachel Arnott.

“We played hard,” Gillam said. “The effort is 100 percent there. I still wish at some point we would gut things out. We’re close at a lot of spots and we competitive at almost every spot which is a good thing to see.”

The Tigers will try for their first conference win when they travel to Faribault.