JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Tusculum University won the first two and last two points to come away with a 4-3 South Atlantic Conference victory at Carson-Newman University in a matchup of nationally-ranked men's tennis teams Wednesday afternoon at the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex.

The Pioneers (6-4, 2-0 SAC), listed 43rd in the latest ITA Division II National Team Rankings, trailed the 48th-ranked Eagles (5-6, 3-1 SAC) by a 3-2 score with two matches to play. However, Nathan Matsuguma earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at flight six over Javier Crespo Sanchez to knot the score at 3-3. Frank Bonacia, playing his first match of the spring, would rally from a set down at flight four to pull out the 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win over Rintaro Oka and clinch the win for the Pioneers.

Tusculum had gone up 1-0 in doubles by winning two of the three matches. At flight one, Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian beat Marc Janse and Oka 6-1, while Carson-Newman earned a 6-1 victory at flight three. In the decisive doubles match, Rhodri Atkinson and Will Gee beat Gjorgji Jankulovski and Ids Waterbolk 7-5 to give Tusculum the 1-0 lead in the match.

Atkinson, ranked 57th in singles in Division II, beat Marnix Van Dalen 6-1, 6-0 at flight one for a 2-0 Tusculum advantage, but wins at flights three and five would bring Carson-Newman to a 2-2 deadlock. The Eagles won another match at flight five to go ahead 3-2, but the Pioneers were able to rally for their 14th straight victory over the Eagles.

Tusculum will host Coker on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Cobras fell to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the SAC with a 5-2 loss to 17th-ranked Anderson on Wednesday.