Purple and Gold shutout Pioneers in HCAC-OAC matchup

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – After the Marietta Pioneers defeated the Defiance men's tennis team during the 2013 spring trip at Hilton Head 8-1, the Yellow Jackets returned the favor this year with a dominating 9-0 victory over the OAC foe on Tuesday, March 11.

The shutout win was the first for DC (4-2) since it downed the arch-rival Bluffton Beavers 9-0 during the 2012 campaign. Marietta (1-3) drops its third straight with the loss.

In a clean sweep of doubles competition for the first time this season Mike Ross (Bryan, Ohio / Bryan) and Ryan Nelson (Oregon, Ohio / Clay) had the toughest battle, but pulled out an 8-6 win.

Cord Speelman (Bryan, Ohio / Bryan) and Justin Walker (Oak Harbor, Ohio / Hunt) then cruised through second doubles 8-2 and James Demeo (Oregon, Ohio / Clay) and Tory Savage (Bryan, Ohio / Bryan) improved their season record in third doubles to 5-1 with the 8-3 victory.

In the individual matches Ross and Tyler Thiel (Bryan, Ohio / Bryan) each got their first win of the year in singles action. Ross had to fight hard for his victory, taking first singles 7-6 (8-6), 7-5. Thiel had an easier path to his first win with a 6-1, 6-1 performance in sixth singles.

In arguably the most thrilling competition of the day Speelman sealed his second individual win of 2014 with a 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 10-4 victory. Nelson, Demeo and Walker each breezed through their singles matches in two sets and didn't surrender more than two games in any set.

In the second to last match of Defiance's spring break trip, the Yellow Jackets will test the Roosevelt Lakers on Wednesday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m.