Tusculum picks up 5-3 road win over Catawba

Tusculum picks up 5-3 road win over Catawba

SALISBURY, N.C. --- Tusculum battled to a 5-3 win over Catawba in South Atlantic Conference men's tennis action Friday afternoon.

The Pioneers (9-4, 4-1 SAC) led 2-1 after doubles, then won three of five singles matches against the Indians (9-8, 3-3 SAC) before rain halted the final match in the second set.

In doubles, the team of Tomas Kmetko and Toby de Klerk beat Michael Patch and Luca Picci 8-6 at flight one, while Yago Fernandez and David Siegle downed Adam Rocko and Lucas Miller 9-7 at flight three to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.

In singles, Kmetko beat Patch 6-4, 7-5 at flight one and Fernandez defeated Picci 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at flight two, but wins from the Indians at flights three and four left the Pioneers with a 4-3 lead. Siegle then clinched the match for Tusculum at flight six with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Rocko.

The match between Eduardo Munoz and Cason Hiers was stopped by rain in the second set after Hiers won the first set 6-4 and Munoz led 5-3 in the second set.

Tusculum will be back home on Wednesday, March 22 to face Carson-Newman in a SAC match starting at 1 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex.