Results
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Coming off a day of shortened rest, the Eckerd College men's tennis program kept it close all the way against Merrimack (Mass.) College, falling by a 5-4 decision at the Turley Athletic Complex on Sunday.
The Tritons (1-10 overall) had faced sixth-ranked Rollins College on Saturday before playing host under overcast skies to the Warriors (4-2 overall), who currently rank seventh in the East Region.
Both teams battled for a split in singles action, but Merrimack was able to claim two of the three doubles contests to account for the decisive point.
The Warriors featured three individuals ranked regionally and one doubles pairing also among the East Region's top-10 duos.
Sophomore
Stephen Felman outlasted one of the ranked Warriors, Matt Pronesti, in a pair of tiebreakers to take both sets, 7-6.
Felman and Pronesti battled back and forth to the tune of a 7-5 tiebreaker for the last game of the first set and an 8-6 score to clinch the match for the Tritons. Felman collected his second win of the spring.
Freshman
Frazier Springfield and sophomore
Luke Burton each won their third singles match this spring, tied for the team lead.
Springfield and Burton mirrored their final scores in straight-set decisions at the No. 3 and 6 positions, 6-2, 6-4, against Matt Lipinski and Chris Toegemann.
Felman and senior
Dylan Randazzo snapped an 8-8 tie in the top doubles flight with a tiebreaker for a critical team point against Lipinski/Pronesti.
The Warriors were able to take the No. 2 and 3 matchups, 8-1 and 8-5, respectively.
The Tritons will practice early in the week to prepare for the University of West Alabama on Thursday at the Turley Athletic Complex. The match is projected to get underway at 2 p.m.
