NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College men's tennis team earned its first conference loss of the season Saturday afternoon by falling to the Wingate Bulldogs, 6-3.

Jeremy Smith (Durban, South Africa) and Felipe Sobrinho (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) won their fourth straight doubles match in the first flight by defeating Louis Villaroel and Braden Patchell (8-6).

Wingate took an early hit but still took victories in the second and third doubles flights. Maxim Sukharev (Vilnius, Lithuania) and Lucas Mattos (Rio do Janeiro, Brazil) were dropped by Bruno Pudence and Flavio Rathsam (8-4) while Pavle Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and Mark Boswell (Piedmont, S.C.) lost to Jose Valarezo and Mathew Lichtenstein (8-2)

Down 2-1, Mattos came out and tied the dual at two matches a piece with a win in the second flight over Pudence (6-4, 6-3). Sobrinho also won his singles match by defeating Drew Owen (6-4, 7-5). Wingate won the final four singles matches, clinching their third conference win of the season.

In other singles action, Sukharev lost to Mitchell Lvovsky (6-3, 5-7, 6-2); Smith fell against Patchell (7-5, 6-3); Popovic lost in a dramatic match against Lichtenstein (0-6, 6-3, 16-14); and Boswell fell to Rathsam (6-1, 6-0).

The loss puts Newberry at 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the South Atlantic Conference. The scarlet and gray will now move on to face Lenoir-Rhyne at home this Friday, March 27 at 2 pm. Wingate (4-4, 3-0 in the SAC) will return to the court on Sunday at home against Barton at 1 pm.