Don’t let the scores fool you.

That was the advice of Butte High tennis coach Dorothy Joyce as she watched the Bulldogs play Missoula Hellgate on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon at Stodden Park.

Hellgate won each the girls’ dusky dual 8-0 and the boys’ 7-1 and that includes three forfeits on the boys’ side. But Joyce said she saw great improvement in her Bulldogs, who are starting to put things together as the postseason approaches.

Carley Trefts put up the best fight for the Bulldogs on the girls’ side. She dropped a three-set match to Mae Mickelson of Hellgate in No. 2 singles. Ashlyn Burnett, Sage Murphy and Rebecca Radoicich also played singles for Butte High.

Brooke McGrath and Katie Keller, Ashely Olson and Sevanna Challeen, Mya Dare and Frankie Cox, and Mia McCarthy and Isabel Russo played doubles.

On the boys’ side, Jason Johns and Sam Sampson won a tough three-set battle at No. 2 singles. Those two both played doubles.

Kershaw Mellott played doubles with Cole Skeel. Mellott also played a singles match.

Wednesday was the start of a rare homestand for the Butte High tennis team. The Bulldogs will be home again Saturday when the Billings schools come to town to take on Butte and the Helena schools.

The Bulldogs will play host to Missoula Big Sky on Tuesday.

GIRLS
Missoula Hellgate 8, Butte High 0
Singles
Brooke West, Hellgate, def. Ashlyn Burnett 6-1, 6-1
Mae Mickelson, Hellgate, def. Carley Trefts 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Kendall Adler, Hellgate, def. Sage Murphy 6-0, 6-0
Chloe McCullar, Hellgate, def. Rebecca Radoicich 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
B. Sayler/L. Banzinger, Hellgate, def. Brooke McGrath/Katie Keller 6-1, 6-0
M. Massey/A. Young, Hellgate, def. Ashley Olson/Sevanna Challeen 6-3, 6-4
L. Johnston/S. Tollefson-Knee, Hellgate, def. Maya Dare/Frankie Cox 6-4, 6-0
K. Skinner/F. Smith, Hellgate, def. Mia McCarthy/Isabel Russo 6-4, 6-1

BOYS
Missoula Hellgate 7, Butte High 1
(Score indicates three forfeit wins)
Boys
Sebastian Silverstein, Hellgate, def. Jason Johns 6-1, 6-1
Oliver Hansen, Hellgate, def. Sam Sampson 6-1, 6-4
Leo Ma, Hellgate, def. Kershaw Mellott 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
Miles Schroeder/Cyrus Kelly , Hellgate, def. Kershaw Mellott/Cole Skeel 6-0, 6-0
Sam Sampson/Jason Johns, Butte, def. O. Handorf/S. Ender 2-6, 6-2, 6-3