SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University men's tennis team earned two wins on Saturday, topping Virginia Wesleyan College, 8-1, before picking up a 9-0 victory over Goucher College.
Salisbury 8, Virginia Wesleyan 1
The Sea Gulls swept the three doubles matches, with sophomore Andrew Rainger and freshman Garrett Malave grabbing an 8-2 win, with the other two doubles teams needing a little more work to pick up their wins.
At No. 2 doubles, senior Grant Hudson and freshman Patrick MacLean earned an 8-6 win while freshmen Colt Williamson and Ian Siew went to a tie breaker to finish off the doubles contests with a 9-8 (7-5) win at No. 1.
Salisbury picked up five more points in singles play, but not without some work. Four of the singles contests needed a third set to reach a decision. Malave and classmate William Niessner each won their opening set before dropping the second and taking the decisive third set for their matches. Malave won 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 at No. 3 and Niessner collected a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) victory at No. 6.
After dropping his opening set, 6-2 at No. 4, Rainger came back with wins of 6-1, 6-2 to pick up the victory.
MacLean and freshman Franklin Tiafoe each garnered straight-set wins with MacLean picking up a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 and Tiafoe going for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) win at No. 5.
The only point for the Marlins (0-2) in the match came at No. 1 where Paul Gladstone picked up a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win against Siew.
Salisbury 9, Goucher 0
Salisbury again earned a doubles sweep as Williamson and Siew began things in style with an 8-0 win before MacLean and Hudson garnered an 8-5 win at No. 2. The doubles sweep was closed out with Malave and Rainger picking up a 9-7 win at No. 3.
Williamson surrendered just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles before Siew finished off Michael Herman at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-2 to seal the team victory.
Hudson won his first set at No. 3 by a 6-2 score, but dropped the second, 6-4, needing a match tie-breaker to decide the contest, coming out victorious, 10-7.
MacLean earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 4 before the two final matches closed out with comeback Salisbury wins. Tiafoe, at No. 5, and Niessner, at No. 6, each dropped their first sets before battling back for the win. Tiafoe claimed a 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 win and Niessner claimed a 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 victory.
The Sea Gulls return to action on Sunday, February 26, hosting Bridgewater (Va.) College in a contest slated to begin at 1 p.m.
