Sunday, April 10, 2005

                                                                                                                          

TUSCULUM RALLIES TO 5-4 WIN OVER NO. 27 PRESBYTERIAN,
PIONEERS CLAIM SAC MEN'S TENNIS TITLE

 

2005 SAC Champions
2005 South Atlantic Conference Champions

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Pedro Galavis fought back from a set down to win at No. 4 singles as the Tusculum College men's tennis team rallied to upset No. 27 Presbyterian College 5-4 to win the 2005 South Atlantic Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.  For Tusculum (10-5, 6-0 SAC) it is its second SAC title since joining the league in 1999 and first since 2002.  The Blue Hose fall to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in league play.

 

Down 4-2 after doubles and three singles matches, the bottom of the line-up stepped up for Tusculum as Carlos Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) and Michael Hallford (Baton Rouge, La.) won at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, evening the match at 4-4. 

 

Galavis dropped the first set 6-2 to PC's Nick Osborne (Hutton Rudby, England) at No. 4 singles, but bounced back winning 6-4, 6-1 in the final two sets and claiming the victory for the Pioneers.

Tusculum captured two of the three doubles points.  Garcia and Sergio Espinosa (Caracas, Venezuela) outlasted the No. 1 doubles pair of Paul Ratchford (Delta, British Columbia, Canada) and Kshitij Dwivedi (New Delhi, India) 8-6 in pro sets.  TC's No. 3 pair of Hallford and Galavis won 8-5 over Hector Rincon (London, England) and Zach Glankler (Highland Village, Texas).

 

                Trailing 2-1, Presbyterian answered winning three consecutive singles matches by Rincon, Ratchford and Dwivedi before Tusculum's rally.

 

                The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday when they face Virginia Intermont College for a 4:30 p.m. match to be played in Johnson City, Tenn.  The Blue Hose return home to host Wingate University on Monday for a 2:30 p.m. match.

 

- TC -

 

Tusculum 5, No. 27 Presbyterian 4

 

Singles

 

1 - Hector Rincon (PC) def. Roberto Robles

6-1, 6-1

2 - Paul Ratchford (PC) def. Jesse Puckerin

6-0, 6-3

3 - Kshitij Dwivedi (PC) def. Sergio Espinosa

6-2, 6-4

4 - Pedro Galavis (TC) def. Nick Osborne

2-6, 6-4, 6-1

5 - Carlos Garcia (TC) def. Al Morgan

6-4, 6-2

6 - Michael Hallford (TC) def. Zach Glankler

6-3, 6-3

Doubles

 

1 - Garcia/Espinosa (TC) def. Ratchford/Dwivedi

8-6

2 - Osborne/Morgan (PC) def. Robles/Puckerin

8-1

3 - Hallford/Galavis (TC) def. Rincon/Glankler

8-5

Records: Tusculum (10-5, 6-0 SAC); Presbyterian (8-8, 4-1 SAC)