Wingate University erased a 3-0 deficit and won a 10-point tiebreaker in the final match to defeat Tusculum College 5-4 in a South Atlantic Conference Women's tennis match Friday afternoon.

The 34th-ranked Bulldogs (11-5, 6-0 SAC) won the final three singles matches against the Pioneers (9-3, 1-1 SAC) in a matchup of teams ranked in this week's ITA Southeast Regional rankings. Helen Goreski provided the winning margin with a 10-8 tiebreaker victory at flight six to give Wingate, ranked ninth in the region, the win.

The Pioneers, ranked 10th in the region, jumped to a 3-0 lead on the strength of a sweep in doubles play. Adrienne Kaye and Megan Buckmaster kicked off doubles with an 8-2 victory over Tiffany Williams and Goreski at flight three, then Kate Hutchinson and Taylor Patterson held on for a 9-7 win over Ali Evers and Becca Thomas at flight one. Erin Mills and Emily Waters completed the doubles sweep with an 8-6 victory at flight two over Kelli Ferguson and Morgan Winston.

Wins by Evers and Thomas at flights one and two helped the Bulldogs cut the Pioneer lead to 3-2, but Waters came through for the Pioneers as she rallied from a set down to win in a tiebreaker. Waters lost the first set 4-6, then evened the match with a 6-2 win the second set before capturing the tiebreaker by an 11-9 margin to give Tusculum a 4-2 lead. Winston returned the favor as she came back after dropping the first set to win in a tiebreaker by a 10-8 score and bring the Bulldogs within 4-3.

Ferguson knotted the match at 4-4 with a straight-set win at flight five, setting up the final match between Goreski and Buckmaster. Goreski rallied for a 7-5 victory in the first set, only to see Buckmaster return the favor in the second set to send the match to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Goreski erased a 7-6 deficit with three straight points on her way to a 10-8 victory.

The Pioneers remain on the road Saturday at 11 a.m. at Catawba.