HICKORY, N.C. --- The Tusculum College men's tennis team recorded its fifth straight win to open the season as the Pioneers defeated host Lenoir-Rhyne University 8-1 Thursday afternoon in TC's South Atlantic Conference lid-lifter.

Tusculum (5-0, 1-0 SAC) recorded three hard-fought points in doubles, including two that went to a tie-break. The Pioneers also captured five singles points as the Bears (0-5, 0-2 SAC) remain winless on the year.

Tusculum jumped out to a 1-0 lead as the No. 1 doubles pairing of Henrique Rodrigues and Luis Zamora defeated David Jackson and Brian Reid 8-4 in pro sets. At No. 2 doubles, Steven Lin and Oliver Smith edged the L-R duo of Graydon Dunn and Mike Owens, 9-8 (7-3). TC completed the sweep at doubles as the No. 3 pairing of Drew Kiser and Gui Carvalho battled to a 9-8 (7-5) triumph over Matt Gaines and Hernando Saavedra.

In singles action, Tusculum got straight set wins by Rodrigues, Lin, Smith and Kiser. TC's Paulo dos Santos rallied from a set down at No. 6 singles to beat Nate Summer, 1-6, 7-5, (10-3).

L-R's lone point game at the second flight as Saavedra dropped his first set to Zamora 3-6, but fought back with wins in the second (7-5) and third set (10-8) for the tally.

Tusculum returns home on Friday to host North Greenville University for a 2 p.m. match at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

- TC -

Tusculum 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 1
Singles
1 - Henrique Rodrigues (TC) def. Brian Reid (L-R), 6-2, 7-5
2 - Hernando Saavedra (L-R) def. Luis Zamora (TC), 3-6, 7-5 (10-8)
3 - Steven Lin (TC) def. David Jackson (L-R), 6-2, 6-4
4 - Oliver Smith (TC) def. Mike Owens (L-R), 6-2, 6-2
5 - Drew Kiser (TC) def. Graydon Dunn (L-R), 6-2, 6-3
6 - Paulo dos Santos (TC) def. Nate Summer (L-R), 1-6, 7-5 (10-3)

Doubles
1 - Rodrigues/Zamora (TC) def. Jackson/Reid (L-R), 8-4
2 - Lin/Smith (TC) def. Dunn/Owens (L-R), 9-8 (7-3)
3 - Kiser/Gui Carvalho (TC) def. Matt Gaines/Saavedra (L-R), 9-8 (7-5)

Records: Tusculum (5-0, 1-0 SAC), Lenoir-Rhyne (0-5, 0-2 SAC)