The Hillsdale College men's tennis team entered Saturday's season opener against Lawrence Tech shorthanded due to injuries.
But based on their play on the courts at Hillsdale's Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center on Saturday, you wouldn't have known it.
The Chargers showed their depth in a 4-0 victory over the visiting Blue Devils, winning all six matches that were finished to open the spring season on a strong note.
Playing in the first match of his career at the No. 1 singles spot, the Chargers' Tyler Conrad gutted out a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Lawrence Tech's Alexander Tammaro, the 2018-19 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and freshman Brennan Cimpeanu also excelled at No. 2 singles for Hillsdale, beating Lawrence Tech's Pedro Garcia-Orellano 6-1, 6-3.
Fellow freshman and No. 3 singles player Sean Barstow clinched the match for the Chargers, pulling out a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory over Patrick Putschbach of Lawrence Tech.
Hillsdale also swept all three doubles matches to win the doubles point, with Conrad and Barstow teaming up to beat Tammaro and Jannis Schneider 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, Cimpeanu and senior Gabe Katz getting a 6-1 win over Putschbach and Lukas Obel at No. 2 doubles, and freshman Daniel Gilbert and junior Brian Hackman earning a 6-2 win over Alex Rajal and Luca Roth at No. 3 doubles.
Even in the two unfinished matches, there were encouraging signs for the Chargers. Gilbert had a 6-2, 5-4 lead on Rajal at No. 4 singles when the match was called, while Katz had an early 4-4 tie with Roth at No. 5 singles.
The Chargers will be in action again tomorrow, Sunday, taking on visiting Davenport at noon for their first match against a Division II opponent and potential regional foe this season.
Photo by Anthony Lupi
