Men's Tennis Splits Final Matches of Beren Invitational

MARIETTA, OHIO  --  The Defiance College men's tennis team wrapped up play at the Beren Invitational hosted by Marietta College by splitting its final two matches and placing third overall in the event.  The Yellow Jackets fell to eventual invitational champion Thomas (Ky.) More College, 5-4, but blanked host school Marietta, 9-0, in the third-place match.

Against Thomas More, the Saints jumped out early by sweeping all three doubles matches.  The closest match for Defiance (6-6) came at first doubles with the duo of senior James DeMeo (Oregon/Clay) and junior Adam Swisher (Bedford, Mich./Bedford) taking four games from their opponents, but fell in the overall match, 8-4, as the Jackets went into singles play trailing, 3-0.

DC looked to rally in the singles match, claiming four-out-of-six wins.  DeMeo and Swisher both won their individual matches at first and second singles with DeMeo winning, 6-3 and 6-4, and Swisher posting winning scores of 6-1 and 6-3.  Senior Tory Savage (Bryan) fell just shy of his opponent in the first set of his third singles matchup, but then captured the second set, 6-1, to even the match at a set apiece.  In the decisive set, Savage came out ahead in a pro-set format winning, 15-13, to claim the match and give the Jackets another team point.

Senior Brian Kurtz (Sandusky/Perkins) recorded the other victory for DC in singles action with a straight-set win at fifth singles with the scores of 6-4 and 6-3.  The remaining two singles matches were both won by Thomas More as the Saints held on for the 5-4 victory.

In the match against Marietta, DC got off to a good start by capturing all three doubles matches with three heavily contested matchups.  DeMeo and Swisher teammed up again to win at first doubles with a final of 8-6.  Senior Dan Fabelo (Hamilton/Badin) and Savage posted an identical winning score (8-6) at second doubles and Kurtz along with junior Eline Widman (Tiffin/Tiffin Columbian) won their third doubles match, 8-4, to give the Jackets a 3-0 edge.

All six of the singles matches were played as pro-sets with DC winning all six matchups, including a pair of shutouts by Kurtz and senior Nathan Height (Wabash, Ind./Wabash) at fifth and sixth singles with scores of 8-0.  Swisher and Savage also posted impressive victories at second and third singles with scores of 8-1.  

DeMeo's match would be a little closer at first singles with an 8-3 decision.  Widman had the closest battle of the match at fourth singles, but would come out as the winner with a final of 8-6 to complete the overall match sweep and the 9-0 victory.

Defiance will next travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, Apr. 8 for a matchup against Mount St. Joseph University in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener.  The match is scheduled to begin at noon.