NEWBERRY, S.C. - Looking for their first South Atlantic Conference tournament bid since the 2009 season, the Newberry College men's netters took to Cannon Courts eager to take on the Mars Hill Lions. Unfortunately, the Wolves were on the wrong end of a 5-4 score against the Lions at the end of the match.
After the loss, the Wolves fell to 3-13 overall and 2-5 in the South Atlantic Conference while the Lions improve to 6-7 and 4-3 in the league. Newberry still sits in seventh place in the SAC standings with the top six squads earning a berth to the league tournament in Rock Hill.
The match began with a hard fought battle in the No. 1 doubles flight. Vinicius Botelho (Fortaleza, Brazil) and David Sons (Lexington, S.C.) found themselves in a war with Lucas Simm and Enrico Patriarca, but the Newberry duo dropped the match by a tight 9-8 score.
The Wolves responded right away when Michael Saunders (Christchurch, New Zealand) and Mohammed Chakir (Rabat, Morocco) scored an 8-6 win against Stevan Stankovic and Guilherme Lima at No. 2 doubles.
The momentum turned right back to Mars Hill though, when Jeffery Kiser (Newberry, S.C.) and James Bethea (Newberry, S.C.) dropped an 8-6 match to Bradley Bassinger and Carlos Oyaga.
Looking to even things to begin the singles flights was Saunders who faced off against Simm. Both netters fought hard through the sweltering afternoon heat, but Saunders was edged 6-4, 7-6 by Simm.
With a two point deficit, Botelho took to the court at No. 2 singles determined to pull the Wolves closer. With a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Patriarca, the wins leader for Newberry did just that. On the adjacent court, Chakir helped the scarlet and gray pull even with the Lions after a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Lima.
Michael Woolard (Lexington, S.C.) got the nod at the No. 4 singles flight, but could not give the Wolves the lead as he lost 6-2, 6-2 to Oyaga. Kiser was also defeated in the No. 5 singles match against Bassinger, 6-2, 6-1.
Sons bested Stankovic 6-4, 6-4 but the Wolves were one point short at the end of the match.
The Wolves travel to Greeneville, Tenn., to take on Tusculum who sits just below Newberry with an SAC mark of 2-6. The Pioneers and Wolves are set to begin their match at 2 p.m. tomorrow, April 10.
