MARS HILL, N.C. --- Mars Hill College edged Tusculum College 5-4 in a South Atlantic Conference Women's tennis match Tuesday afternoon. The Lions moved to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in the SAC with the win, while the Pioneers dropped to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the SAC.

The Lions captured two of the three points in doubles, with the Pioneers gaining their lone point at flight three as Megan Buckmaster and Blake Thompson defeated Ona Jane and Mary Nelson 8-1. Erika Pinate and Anna Rickenbaker teamed for an 8-2 win over Courtney Conley and Taylor Patterson at flight one, and Jacqueline Rouquet and Tatiana Dualiby came up with an 8-3 victory over Katie Hillis and Kristen Keefer at flight two.

In singles play, the Pioneers received a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 victory by Patterson over Dualiby at flight two, but trailed 4-2 as Pinate defeated Conley 6-3, 6-1 at flight one and Jane downed Buckmaster 6-2, 6-3 at flight three.

Hillis cruised past Nelson 6-3, 6-0 at flight six and Thompson won at flight five as Rouquet retired after splitting the first two sets 7-5, 4-6. However, Rickenbaker scored the decisive point as she rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 victory at flight four over Keefer.

Tusculum is back home on Thursday to face North Georgia in a non-conference match at 4 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

- TC -