The Tusculum College Women's tennis team rallied from a 3-2 deficit with four straight singles wins to defeat Mars Hill University 6-3 in a South Atlantic Conference match Tuesday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

The Pioneers (12-1, 3-0 SAC) won their ninth straight match behind three dominating wins to close out singles play against the Lions (4-6, 2-3 SAC). Kealee Heffner, Adrienne Kaye and Amanda Sumner combined to drop two games in their three matches to clinch the victory after Kate Hutchinson tied the match with a win at flight three.

Tusculum led 2-1 after doubles as both winning teams stayed undefeated this season. Erin Mills teamed with Kaye for an 8-3 win over Anna Rickenbaker and Jade Henke at flight two to boost their record to 10-0, and Sumner partnered with Emily Waters for an 8-0 win over Natalie Hilbig and Grace Diepenbrock to improve their season mark to 11-0.

After the Lions grabbed wins at flights one and two in doubles to go on top 3-2, Hutchinson downed Lucy McLaurin 7-5, 6-4 to knot the score at 3-3. Heffner gave the Pioneers the lead with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Henke at flight four, and Kaye sealed the match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Hilbig at flight five to increase her record to 13-0 this season. Sumner closed out singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win at flight six over Diepenbrock.

Earning the wins for Mars Hill were Tatiana Dualiby at flight one and Rickenbaker at flight two of singles, along with the number-one doubles team of Dualiby and McLaurin.

The Pioneers will host Catawba Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex in a SAC match.