March 19, 2011

MERION STATION, Pa. - Freshman Dan Barrus earned the win in the fifth singles flight to clinch a 4-3, come-from-behind victory for the Saint Joseph's men's tennis team on Saturday afternoon at the SJU Tennis Complex. The Hawks won four of the six singles matches, earning the win despite dropping the doubles point, to take their second consecutive match.

Fairfield notched the doubles point when Joe Michalisin and Erik Kremheller won a tiebreak to take the first flight match from Jeff Kessler and Peter Cognetti. Barrus and partner Alex Veronis dispatched their opponents in the second flight, while Tommy Gates and Kristian Broaddus fell in the third.

In singles play, Kremheller defeated Gates in straight sets before Veronis, Cognetti, and Broaddus won to give the Hawks the lead. Barrus sealed the deal with a 7-5, 6-4 win over R.J. Mirabile. In the final match to be completed, Kessler was defeated by Dennis Zlobinsky in a three-set marathon.

The Hawks will travel to Lehigh on Sunday in search of their third straight victory.

Saint Joseph's 4, Fairfield 3

Doubles
1. Joe Michalisin / Erik Kremheller (FFD) def. Jeff Kessler / Peter Cognetti (SJU), 9-8 (4)
2. Alex Veronis / Dan Barrus (SJU) def. Dennis Zlobinsky / Mike Lessing (FFD), 8-4
3. Dan Sauter / Bjorn Merinder (FFD) def. Tommy Gates / Kristian Broaddus (SJU), 8-2

Singles
1. Veronis (SJU) def. Sauter (FFD), 7-5, 6-0
2. Zlobinsky (FFD) def. Kessler (SJU), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
3. Kremheller (FFD) def. Gates (SJU), 6-2, 6-0
4. Cognetti (SJU) def. Lessing (FFD), 6-1, 6-0
5. Barrus (SJU) def. R.J. Mirabile (FFD), 7-5, 6-4
6. Broaddus (SJU) def. Merinder (FFD), 7-5, 6-1