EAST PROVIDENCE — The much anticipated early season showdown of the top two teams in Division II boys' tennis, East Providence and North Kingstown, didn't live up to its billing unfortunately for the host Townies.

(Updated, corrected, 2:45 p.m., April 21) The visiting Skippers improved to 5-0 in the league standings with their one-sided, 7-0 win over East Providence on what was a seasonably warm, calm Thursday afternoon, April 20, in city at the Townie Tennis Center.

For the locals, they suffered their first setback in six matches upon their return to the state's second tier after winning D-III last spring.

"We’ll bounce back. These guys are going to respond well," said EPHS head coach Slade Sharma. "We haven’t lost since April 3rd of last year (to St. Raphael in the 2022 D-III regular season). They responded well back then and pushed themselves.

"This (loss) is just a reminder for them that the work they need to be better has to happen everyday at 100% effort. I’m proud of these guys for grinding it out. It’s just going to make them better."

The Townies were more than competitive in just about all of the seven matches Thursday. They just couldn't get over the hump  in most, except one.

Freshman Abigail Ellison, in singles, and the top doubles pairing of Jordan O’Hair and John Vaughan came closest to scoring points for EPHS.

Ellison lost her match at second singles in three hard sets, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 in the third set tiebreaker.

O'Hair and Vaughan also went the distance after splitting the first two sets 4-6 and 6-4 before falling in the third by a 6-3 count.

North Kingstown, which hasn't dropped more than two points in any of its outings to date, never looked back after quickly winning third singles over EP's Brayden Rouette (6-1, 6-0) and second doubles in straight sets.

The 6-3, 6-3 loss for the EPHS No. 2 duo of Jaydon Amaral and Nathan Thurber was noteworthy as it was their first as a pair in almost a season-and-a-half. The tandem had won its previous 15 matches, including in the Townies' Division III championship winning contest last June against Chariho, and Amaral's personal streak paired with Thurber and other partners was snapped at an impressive 21 in a row.

The Skippers recorded their third point at fourth singles. East Providence's Miguel Flores gave a game effort while dealing with a tired arm, but fell in two sets, 3-and-0. Both Sharma and Flores said it is likely the Townies' No. 4 would rest the next few EPHS matches.

James McShane, likewise, put up an admirable showing at first singles before he, too, lost in consecutive sets by the same 6-4, 6-4 scores.

At third doubles, the EPHS duo of Jaydon Massa and Justin Petion hung tight for a set before, but eventually lost 4-and-1.

The Townies were coming off a 5-2 victory over Portsmouth on the road the day before, April 19, in a match that was actually much closer than the final tally indicated.

McShane was a 6-0, 6-2 winner at first singles and Flores won his match at four solo 5-and-3. Ellison split her first two sets at two, 6-2 and 3-6, then dropped a match-tiebreaker by a 10-7 count. Rouette fell in two sets at three by the scores of 6-3, 7-6, 10-8 in the breaker.

The match was ultimately decided by Portsmouth defaults. The host Patriots did not have any of their three doubles teams available due to illness and absences.

East Providence is set to play twice next week: Monday, April 24, in Westerly and Thursday, April 27, at home for Prout. Both matches start at 4 p.m.