MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team put forward a strong team effort, but ultimately fell to Richmond, 5-2, on a blustery Friday afternoon at the SJU Tennis Complex.
“I was very proud of our team's effort against one of the top conference contenders,” head coach Ian Crookenden said. “We are still working on finding good doubles combinations for outdoor play but our singles play is coming around after our spring break training.”
That improved singles play was on display on Friday, as freshman Beekman Schaeffer and junior Peter Dewitt earned wins in the fifth and sixth flights, respectively. Schaeffer battled back from an early deficit to earn a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over Canyon Teague, while Dewitt rolled to a 6-1, 7-6 (1) triumph over James Aronson.
Sophomore Tim Stierle put forth a strong effort as well in the first flight, extending his match to three sets before falling, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
“Excellent fighting at positions five and six, plus outstanding effort at the top position, shows that on a good day we can play with the best the conference has to offer,” Crookenden said.
With Friday's result, the Hawks fell to 5-7, while the Spiders improved to 14-2.
The Hawks are back in action on Sunday morning when the both the men's and women's squads host Siena at the SJU Tennis Complex. Play is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.
Richmond 5, Saint Joseph's 2
Doubles
1. Kyle Chalmers / Tim Stierle (SJU) vs. Jacob Dunbar / Alexandre Felisa (UR), DNF
2. Jonathan Quenard / Caleb Troy (UR) def. Tristan Boustany / Luis Janko (SJU), 6-2
3. James Aronson / John Karlawish (UR) def. Peter Dewitt / Dan Tan (SJU), 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3
Singles
1. Dunbar (UR) def. Stierle (SJU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
2. Felisa (UR) def. Chalmers (SJU), 6-3, 6-4
3. Troy (UR) def. Boustany (SJU), 6-4, 6-0
4. Karlawish (UR) def. Tan (SJU), 6-1, 6-0
5. Beekman Schaeffer (SJU) def. Canyon Teague (UR), 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7)
6. Dewitt (SJU) def. Aronson (UR), 6-1, 7-6 (1)
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 5
Game Scores
Singles: Richmond 73, Saint Joseph's 53
Doubles: Richmond 12, Saint Joseph's 4
Total: Richmond 85, Saint Joseph's 57
