SALISBURY, N.C. --- A three-set win in the final singles match enabled Catawba College to pull out a 5-4 victory over Tusculum College Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference men's tennis action at the Johnson Tennis Center.

The Indians improved their record to 12-6 overall and 2-3 in the SAC, while the Pioneers dropped to 5-7 overall and 1-2 in the SAC.

Catawba led 2-1 after doubles, with the lone point for Tusculum coming at flight two where Oliver Smith and Steven Lin teamed for an 8-4 victory over Tom McCormack and Uri Yarkoni. The Indians received an 8-1 win at flight one from Pierce Hoover and Thomas Mitchell over Luis Zamora and Tony Bujana, and Matthew Nicholson and Alex Macdonald combined for an 8-2 win at flight three over Gui Carvalho and Drew Kiser.

The Pioneers won two of the first three singles matches, as Bujana defeated Jess Goodall 6-3, 6-2 at flight one and Carvalho downed McCormack 6-2, 7-5 at flight five. The Indians earned a point at flight two where Mitchell was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Smith.

With the match tied 3-3, Hoover rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Lin at flight four to give the Indians a 4-3 lead. Zamora evened the score as he staged his own comeback for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Macdonald at flight three. In the final match of the day, Nicholson chalked up the third straight comeback victory as he claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Kiser to give the Indians the win.

The Pioneers host Carson-Newman Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis COmplex.

- TC -