In a back-and-forth match at Findlay on Sunday, the Hillsdale College men's tennis team came up just short against the Oilers in a 4-3 defeat in the Chargers' first G-MAC match of the season.
Hillsdale won three singles matches, led by a straight sets victory from No. 1 singles player Brennan Cimpeanu, 7-5, 6-3, over Findlay's Luigi Bove. Freshman Aidan Pack also picked up a dominant 6-0, 6-4 win over Findlay's Andrew Codita at No. 2 singles, and Sean Barstow rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Octavio Carrasco at No. 5 singles.
Those wins gave Hillsdale three points, but the Chargers just couldn't find the fourth and clinching point to take the road victory. Despite a victory from Barstow and Tyler Conrad at No. 2 doubles in dramatic fashion, with the pair winning a 7-4 tiebreak, Hillsdale lost the doubles point in narrow fashion, and couldn't take either of two three-set matches at No. 4 singles and No. 6 singles, despite solid play and narrow margins. Both Conrad at No. 4 singles and Daniel Gilbert at No. 6 singles made stirring comebacks from tough first set losses to force third sets, but ultimately the Oilers took both points to secure the match.
Hillsdale falls to 8-5 overall with the loss, and faces another critical G-MAC contest at home on Sunday when the Chargers host Walsh for a match. Along with the Chargers, Oilers and defending champion Tiffin, Walsh is consistently one of the top four teams in the G-MAC and a perennial title contender, making that match critical for seeding purposes for the season-ending G-MAC Tournament for both squads.
Photo Courtesy of Findlay Athletics