ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Steven Lin recorded the deciding point in a three-set thriller to lead fifth-seeded Tusculum College to a 5-4 upset win over top-seeded Wingate University Friday afternoon in a semifinal match of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.

Tusculum (14-9) advances to Saturday's tournament championship match and will face No. 2 seed Mars Hill College, who defeated No. 3 Newberry College, 5-2 earlier on Friday.

With the score tied 4-4 in the five-hour and 14-minute marathon, Lin rallied from a set down to defeat Matthew Lichtenstein 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 to send the Pioneers to their second straight SAC Tournament championship match.

Tusculum jumped out to a 3-0 lead, capturing all three doubles matches. The No. 1 doubles duo of Thomas Rees and Drew Kiser posted an 8-2 pro set win over the WU duo of Braden Patchell and Louis Villarroel. Tusculum also got an 8-2 win from the duo of Leo Guaycurus and Henrique Rodrigues at No. 2 doubles and an 8-5 decision at No. 3 doubles by Lin and Hunter Beal.

Leading 3-0, the Pioneers had to fend off a furious fight by the top-seeded Bulldogs. Patchell got things started at No. 3 singles with his 6-4, 6-4 win over Beal. Andrew Owen followed with his 6-4, 6-4 victory at the fourth flight against Guaycurus. Mitchell Lvovsky tied the match at 3-3 with his 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win over Rodrigues at No. 1 singles.

Tusculum recorded its fourth point of the morning as Rees outlasted Bruno Prudence 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 at the second flight. But Wingate's Flavio Rathsam knotted the match again with his 6-0, 6-1 win over Kiser at the sixth flight setting the table for Lin's heroics in the final match of the day.

- SAC -

No. 5 Tusculum 5, No. 1 Wingate 4
Singles
1 - Mitchell Lvovsky (WU) def. Henrique Rodrigues 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
2 - Thomas Rees (TC) def. Bruno Prudence 6-7, 7-5, 6-2
3 - Braeden Patchell (WU) def. Hunter Beal 6-4, 6-4
4 - Andrew Owen (WU) def. Leo Guaycurus 6-4, 6-4
5 - Steven Lin (TC) def. Matthew Lichtenstein 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
6 - Flavio Rathsam (WU) def. Drew Kiser 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
1 - Rees/Kiser (TC) def. Patchell/Louis Villarroel 8-2
2 - Guaycurus/Rodrigues (TC) def. Prudence/Rathsam 8-2
3 - Beal/Lin (TC) def. Lichtenstein/Jose Valarezo 8-5