MEN'S TENNIS FALLS IN BACK DRAW MATCH TO ECKERD 5-0

April 17, 2009

Lions 2009 Season Comes To An End At SSC Championships.

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Saint Leo University men’s tennis team (4-18) was swept in the back draw match of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament by No. 6 seed Eckerd, 5-0 Friday afternoon from Patch Reef Park in Boca Raton, Fla. SLU claimed the back draw match after falling in their quarterfinal match against Barry in first round action yesterday.

In the Lions’ last regular season match with the Tritons, Saint Leo was able to win two of three doubles matches but struggled in singles as they lost a 5-4 nail bitter. This time however, Eckerd swept through the Lions in both singles and doubles play, ending the 2009 season for the Green & Gold.

The Lions began the day in doubles action competing in two very close contests. After dropping the opening match at No. 1 doubles, Andrew Sheets and Michael Callaway tried to give the Lions at point at No. 2 doubles. Their efforts were not enough though as the Eckerd duo proved to be too much winning 8-4.

The SLU No. 3 doubles pair of Diego Timoteo and Jose Morales presented the greatest challenge on the day for the Tritons. The two teams exchanged points for much of the match but in the end the gritty Lions’ team could not come up with enough shots to steal a point away from Eckerd.

In singles action, Richard MacLachlin fell 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles in a hotly contested match-up while his teammate, Sheets, was put away in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. The singles losses were enough to secure the match for Eckerd while the four other matches went unfinished.

The Lions concluded the 2009 season with 4-18 overall mark, 0-6 in the SSC and an 0-2 Tournament mark.

With the loss, the tennis squad bids farewell to lone senior Andrew Sheets, competing in two seasons for the Green & Gold.