Tusculum opens SAC schedule with 8-1 win at Mars Hill

Tusculum opens SAC schedule with 8-1 win at Mars Hill

MARS HILL, N.C. --- A sweep of doubles helped send Tusculum College to an 8-1 victory over Mars Hill University in the South Atlantic Conference men's tennis opener for both teams Thursday afternoon.

The Pioneers (4-1, 1-0 SAC) needed a third set to win one of the singles matches and a 10-point tiebreaker to win another, but ended up capturing five of six points in singles to defeat the Lions (0-8, 0-3 SAC).

In doubles, the Pioneers received an 8-3 victory from Tomas Kmetko and Toby de Klerk at flight one over Alberto Ortiz and Ben Reid. At flight two, Leon Seiz and Tashique Kader beat Pedro Pinassi and Blake Covington 8-4, while the Pioneers' David Siegle and Yago Fernandez won 8-4 over Carlos Suares Riesco and Fernando Neto at flight three.

In singles, Kmetko outlasted Ortiz 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 at flight one, Kader beat Riesco 6-3, 6-1 at flight two and Fernandez downed Reid at flight three by a score of 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, (10-8). Siegle won 6-4, 6-0 over Covington at flight four, and Eduardo Munoz gained a victory at flight six when Neto retired after losing the first set 6-3.

Tusculum will be on the road again Friday afternoon at North Georgia, in a match that was rescheduled after being rained out on Sunday. Match time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.