Friday, April 18, 2008

TUSCULUM EDGES NEWBERRY 5-3 TO ADVANCE TO SAC WOMEN’S TENNIS TOURNAMENT FINALS

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Heidi von der Lage clinched the winning point with her 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles as second-seeded Tusculum edged sixth-seeded Newberry 5-3 in a semifinal match of the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament. The semifinal and final rounds are being held at the Rock Hill Tennis Center).

The Pioneers advance to Saturday’s championship as they will take on top-seeded Carson-Newman, beginning at 9 a.m.

Tusculum (19-3, ranked No. 37 in NCAA Division II) jumped out to a 2-1 advantage as the second-flight pairing of Amanda Pike (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Jennifer Sparks (Missouri City, Texas) won 8-6 over Chanelle Clare (Nassau, Bahamas) and Bethany Poppe (Califon, N.J.). Bronwyn Hartley (Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and Blake Thompson also posted an 8-3 win over Danielle Beckerle (St. Louis, Mo.) and Kelly Cheesborough (Harlem, Ga.) at No. 3 doubles.

TC looked to be on their way to a win at No. 1 doubles, but the Newberry pair of Lauren Hartley (Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and Autise Mortimer (Nassau, Bahamas) battled back from a 6-1 deficit, scoring the final seven points of the fray to win 8-6 over Caroline Crowe (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Katelyn Doss (Bristol, Va.).

It was a close contest in singles as well as three matches went into three sets, including come-from-behind wins by Lauren Hartley and Mortimer. Lauren Hartley rallied to beat Sparks 26-, 6-4, 6-4, while Mortimer defeated her teammate’s sister, Bronwyn Hartley 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 at the No. 2 flight.

Tusculum got a big point from Doss at No. 4 singles 6-3, 6-3, while Thompson won her fifth flight match with Beckerle, 6-0, 6-0 to give TC a 4-3 advantage. TC got the final point from von der Lage (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) at No. 6 singles as the Pioneers avenge last year’s semifinal loss to the Lady Indians.

Saturday’s final promises to be an exciting one as the regular season match went the distance as C-N prevailed 5-4 over the Pioneers.

- SAC -

No. 2 Tusculum 5, No. 6 Newberry 3

Singles

1 – Lauren Hartley (NEW) def. Jennifer Sparks (TC), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

2 – Autise Mortimer (NEW) def. Bronwyn Hartley (TC), 5-7, 6-3, 6-0

3 – Amanda Pike (TC) vs. Chanelle Clare (NEW), DNF

4 – Katelyn Doss (TC) def. Bethany Poppe (NEW), 6-3, 6-3

5 – Blake Thompson (TC) def. Danielle Beckerle (NEW), 6-0, 6-0

6 – Heidi von der Lage (TC) def. Brittany Grooms (NEW), 6-4, 6-3

Doubles

1 – L. Hartley/Mortimer (NEW) def. Caroline Crowe/Doss, 8-6

2 – Pike/Sparks (TC) def. Clare/Poppe (NEW), 8-6

3 – B. Hartley/Thompson (TC) def. Beckerle/Cheesborough (NEW), 8-3

Records: Tusculum (19-3); Newberry (6-12)

Time: 4:03