GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College's Steven Lin accounted for a pair of points, including the deciding one at No. 4 singles as the 36th-ranked Pioneers defeated visiting Carson-Newman College 5-4 Sunday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

Tusculum (7-5, 1-1 SAC) records its first South Atlantic Conference win of the season, while the Eagles (2-4, 2-1 SAC) drop their first league match of the year.

With the match tied 3-3, Tusculum's Drew Kiser posted a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles over Rodolfo Schwarz to move the Pioneers up by one. But in the match of the day, Lin out-lasted C-N's Adriano Kira 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in a three-set thriller to seal the victory.

The Pioneers captured the first two points of the afternoon with victories at the second and third flights of doubles. The No. 2 pairing of Henrique Rodrigues and Leo Guaycurus posted an 8-4 pro set win against C-N's Jack Harvie and Chris Acker. Lin and No. 3 doubles partner Hunter Beal won 8-2 over Kira and Trent Slagle. Carson-Newman answered with a win at the top doubles flight as Giuseppe Schwarz and Rodolfo Schwarz won 9-8, including 7-4 in the tiebreaker over Thomas Rees and Kiser.

The Eagles tied the match at 3-3 winning two of the first three singles contests. Giuseppe Schwarz won a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 win over Rodrigues at the top flight. Slagle also defeated Beal 7-6, 6-4 at No. 3 singles. Rees captured a critical point at No. 2 singles, winning 6-3, 6-2 over Harvie.

The Pioneers return to action Wednesday afternoon when they host Lincoln Memorial University in a 3 p.m. league match. Carson-Newman will be at Catawba next Saturday at 1 p.m.

- TC -

No. 36 Tusculum 5, Carson-Newman 4
Singles
1 - Giuseppe Schwarz (CN) def. Henrique Rodrigues 7-5, 7-5
2 - Thomas Rees (TC) def. Jack Harvie 6-3, 6-2
3 - Trent Slagle (CN) def. Hunter Beal 7-6, 6-4
4 - Steven Lin (TC) def. Adriano Kira 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
5 - Drew Kiser (TC) Rodolfo Schwarz 6-1, 6-3
6 - Chris Acker (CN) def. Paulo Santos 6-4, 6-1

Doubles
1 - G. Schwarz/R. Schwarz (CN) def. Rees/Kiser 9-8 (7-4)
2 - Rodrigues/Leo Guaycurus (TC) def. Harvie/Acker 8-4
3 - Beal/Lin (TC) def. Kira/Slagle 8-2

Records: Tusculum 7-5, 1-1 SAC; Carson-Newman: 2-4, 2-1 SAC