Men's Tennis Falls to UMass Dartmouth, 5-4

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting UMass Dartmouth men's tennis team edged Bridgewater State University, 5-4, in Little East Conference action on Tuesday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

The Corsairs improve to 4-8 on the season and 1-2 in the Little East, while the host Bears fall to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

Bridgewater led 2-1 after double play. The Bears' senior tandem of Matt McGee (Warren, R.I.) and Chris Jastrab (Chicago, Ill.) posted a 8-2 win at the top flight, while fellow seniors Justin Haley (South Yarmouth, Mass.) and Michael Delisle (Berkley, Mass.) recorded an 8-3 victory at the second spot.

Senior Summer Forest-Bulley (Turners Falls, Mass.) and junior Zach Pavao (Somerset, Mass.) picked up the Corsairs' lone doubles point with an 8-3 triumph at number three.

In singles play, McGee cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win at the top flight, while Jastrab battled to a 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 decision at the second flight.

UMass, however, picked up wins in each of the bottom four flights to earn the 5-4 come-from-behind victory. Forest-Bulley and Pavao won in straight sets at the fifth (6-3, 7-5) and sixth (6-2, 6-1) flights, respectively. Freshman Justin Torres (Dighton, Mass.) battled to a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 triumph at number four to tie the score at 4-4. Classmate Patrick Pacheco (Fall River, Mass.) battled back from a set down at the third flight to win, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 and clinch the match for the Corsairs. The third set was decided with a 7-5 tie-breaker as the match came right down to the final point.

Both teams are back in action with non-conference matches on Thursday afternoon at 3:30. The Bears travel to Eastern Nazarene College, while the Corsairs host Curry College.