PHILADELPHIA - East Stroudsburg University finished its men's tennis dual schedule with a 5-4 loss at the University of the Sciences on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
The Rams won the first two doubles matches and top three singles matches to improve to 10-3 on the season.
Freshmen Ryan Baxter and Will Norris won 8-4 at third doubles for ESU to improve to 11-3 this spring. Norris also won 10-3 at No. 4 singles and juniors Juilian Taibi and Rob Mikolon were victorious at the fifth and sixth spots.
USP downed Taibi and Mikolon 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, and the Rams earned a 9-7 win over Jeff Kurz and Jared Howat for the deciding point at No. 1 doubles. Howat also dropped a 6-1, 3-6 (10-1) decision at third singles.
ESU will face No. 1 seed Bloomsburg in the first round of the PSAC men's tennis tournament on Friday at Bloomsburg.
USP 5, ESU 4
Doubles
1. Tyler Weisel and Ricardo Martins (USP) d. Jeff Kurz and Jared Howat, 9-7
2. Paul Caceres and Dan Rubin (USP) d. Julian Taibi and Rob Mikolon, 8-4
3. Ryan Baxter and Will Norris (ESU) d. Ken Connelly and Chris Lukose, 8-4
Singles
1. Weisel (USP) d. Kyle Doebler, 6-2, 6-0
2. Cacares (USP) d. Kurz, 6-2, 6-0
3. Martins (USP) d. Howat, 6-1, 3-6 (10-1)
4. Norris (ESU) d. Rubin, 10-3
5. Taibi (ESU) d. Lukose, 10-5
6. Mikolon (ESU) d. Connelly, 10-3