MONROE, N.C. --- Wingate University posted five straight-set wins in singles and went on to a 7-2 victory over Tusculum College in a South Atlantic Conference men's tennis match Friday afternoon at the Monroe High School tennis facility.

The Bulldogs, ranked 38th nationally and 11th regionally, moved to 10-3 overall and 4-0 in the SAC with the win, while the Pioneers suffered their third straight loss and fell to 5-6 overall and 1-1 in SAC play.

Wingate took a 2-0 lead in doubles action as Fernando Montemurro and Ryan Forbes picked up an 8-3 win over Gui Carvalho and Drew Kiser at flight three, followed by an 8-5 victory for Matthew Lichtenstein and Braeden Patchell at flight two over the Pioneers' Oliver Smith and Steven Lin.

Tusculum got on the board at flight one of doubles, with Tony Bujana and Luis Zamora holding on for an 8-6 win over Andrew Owen and Flavio Rathsam.

In singles, the Bulldogs won five straight matches before Kiser finished action on an up note for the Pioneers with a 6-2, 7-5 victory at flight six over Louis Villarroel.

Lichtenstein defeated Smith 6-0, 6-1 at flight one, Owen downed Bujana 6-2, 6-2 at flight two and Rathsam was a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Zamora at flight three. At flight four, Patchell posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Lin and Montemurro got past Carvalho 6-1, 6-2 at flight five.

The Pioneers are back in action Saturday at 11 a.m. at Catawba.

- TC -