Defiance Downs Mount St. Joseph

CINCINNATI, OHIO  --  Sophomore Tory Savage (Bryan) won his third straight individual match as the Defiance College men's tennis team topped Mount St. Joseph University, 8-1, for its first Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory in Cincinnati.

Defiance (5-4, 1-0 HCAC) swept all six of its singles matches.  Savage, senior Mike Ross (Bryan) and freshman Adam Swisher (Bedford, Mich./Bedord) each won their matches in straight sets.  Sophomore James Demeo (Oregon/Clay) and senior Ryan Nelson (Oregon/Clay) both needed three sets to post the overall match victories, including rallying after losing the first set.  

At number two singles, Demeo fell behind after dropping his first set, 6-2.  He then rallied with a dominant performance in set two, shutting out his opponent, 6-0, and then won convincingly in the final set, 6-2, for the 2-1 overall match victory.

Nelson fell in his first set at number three singles by a close score of 6-4.  After trailing, 1-0, he then made short work of his opponent in sets two and three winning by the scores of 6-2 and 6-1.

Rounding out the singles winners was senior Justin Walker (Wilson, N.C./Hunt) at fifth singles.  Walker won the first set 6-0 and took the team point after his opponent was forced to retire.

In doubles action, the duo of Ross and Walker won their match by the final of 8-6.  Demeo and Nelson teammed up to capture another team point at second doubles by winning 8-2.  The lone point for MSJ came at the third doubles position as the team of Swisher and Savage fell just short, 8-6.

The Yellow Jackets will look for a possible third-straight victory when they host Heidelberg University in a non-conference match on Monday, Mar. 30.  The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.