GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum women's tennis team swept doubles action en route to an 8-1 South Atlantic Conference win over Mars Hill Wednesday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

The Pioneers (13-3, 3-1 SAC) have won four of their last five matches, while the Lions drop to 4-10, 0-4 SAC.

Tusculum jumped out to a 3-0 advantage, including an 8-1 win by the No. 2 doubles pair of Amanda Pike and Jennifer Sparks, as they defeated the MHC duo of Adriana Borda and Paola Aybar Jimenez.

Sparks followed with a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles as she defeated La Rovere. Borda accounted for MHC's only point of the day with her 6-3, 7-5 win against Pike at No. 2 singles.

Tusculum also got singles points by Bronwyn Hartley, Katelyn Doss, Blake Thompson and Heidi von der Lage.

Tusculum will host Wingate on Friday for a 4 p.m. league contest, while Mars Hill will host Wingate on Saturday.

- TC -

Tusculum 8, Mars Hill 1
Singles
1 - Jennifer Sparks (TC) def. Patricia La Rovere 7-5, 6-3
2 - Adriana Borda (MHC) def. Amanda Pike 6-3, 7-5
3 - Bronwyn Hartley (TC) def. Kim Blythe 6-1, 6-2
4 - Katelyn Doss (TC) def. Paola Aybar Jimenez 6-3, 6-2
5 - Blake Thompson (TC) def. Rachel Hall 6-0, 6-0
6 - Heidi von der Lage (TC) def. Karyn Divinney Forfeit

Doubles
1 - Caroline Crowe/Doss (TC) def. Blythe/La Rovere 8-3
2 - Pike/Sparks (TC) def. Borda/Aybar Jimenez 8-1
3 - Hartley/Thompson (TC) def. Devinney/Hall Forfeit