NEWBERRY, S.C. --- Heidi von der Lage recorded the deciding point with her singles win at the sixth flight as the Tusculum women's tennis team edged host Newberry 5-4 Sunday afternoon at the Cannon Tennis Courts. The No. 37 Pioneers (15-3, 4-1 South Atlantic Conference) win their fourth straight match, while the Lady Indians fall to 1-9, 0-3 SAC.

Newberry claimed the first point of the day as Autise Mortimer and Lauren Hartley blanked Caroline Crowe and Katelyn Doss, 8-0 at No. 1 doubles. Tusculum recovered by taking the remaining two doubles points. Amanda Pike and Jennifer Sparks won 8-6 over Bethany Poppe and Chanelle Clare at the second flight, while Blake Thompson and Bronwyn Hartley defeated Danielle Beckerle and Kelly Cheesborough, 8-0.

Down by a point, the Lady Indians would take the momentum of the match by claiming the first three singles points. Lauren Hartley, playing No. 1 singles for just the second time all season, defeated Sparks, 6-0, 6-4. Mortimer followed by taking a close three-setter from Bronwyn Hartley, 6-3, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1, and Clare posted a 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-1 win over Pike.

Down 4-2, the Pioneers rallied by taking the next three singles points, sparked by Doss who upended Poppe, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in a three-set thriller, Thompson tied the match with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Beckerle.

That set up a winner-take-all match in No. 6 singles, with von der Lage clinching the match with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Brittany Grooms.

Tusculum returns to action this Friday when they host Catawba for a 1:30 p.m. match at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

- TC -

No. 37 Tusculum 5, Newberry 4
Singles
1 - Lauren Hartley (NEW) def. Jennifer Sparks 6-0, 6-4
2 - Autise Mortimer (NEW) def. Bronwyn Hartley 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1
3 - Chanelle Clare (NEW) def. Amanda Pike 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-1
4 - Katelyn Doss (TC) def. Bethany Poppe 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
5 - Blake Thompson (TC) def. Danielle Beckerle 6-0, 6-1
6 - Heidi von der Lage (TC) def. Brittany Grooms 6-2, 6-2

Doubles
1 - Mortimer/L. Hartley (NEW) def. Caroline Crowe/Doss 8-0
2 - Pike/Sparks (TC) def. Poppe/Clare 8-6
3 - Hartley/Thompson (TC) def. Kelly Cheesborough/Beckerlee 8-0