MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team wrapped up its regular season at the SJU Tennis Complex on Sunday, taking a morning result against La Salle before falling to Lehigh in the afternoon.
In the first match of the day, Saint Joseph's (7-13 overall, 2-7 Atlantic 10) rolled to a 5-1 win over La Salle. The matchup was contested only over six singles flights, of which the Hawks took five.
Tim Stierle started things off with a 6-0, 6-2 win in the top flight before Johnnie Massart turned in a 6-4, 6-3 straight-sets victory in the fifth. Andre Fick was a 6-2, 6-3 winner in the second flight before Luis Janko sealed the match with a 7-5, 6-1 win in the sixth.
Peter DeWitt then added a 6-3, 6-4 third-flight victory before La Salle (5-17 overall, 1-5 Atlantic 10) claimed its lone match to set the final score.
“After a tough loss yesterday at George Mason, the squad had a difficult test this morning against La Salle, where we had a lot to lose and the Explorers had everything to gain,” assistant coach Marc Pibernat said. “The whole team competed very well in singles, winning five of the six matches, which made us clinch the match result and not have to play doubles. It was a great conference win!”
Against Lehigh (12-8), SJU raced out to a lead, but the Mountain Hawks claimed the final three singles flights to escape with a 4-3 result.
Lehigh took all three doubles flights to secure the early point. The Hawks then went ahead as Stierle, Tan, and Janko won straight-sets victories at the outset of singles play.
Janko tied the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win in the sixth flight. Tan followed with a fourth-flight win, taking a 7-6 (1), 6-4 decision, before Stierle gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) top-flight victory.
Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, the Mountain Hawks battled from a set down in all three remaining matches to take three-set victories and the overall match result as well.
Saint Joseph's will now prepare for the Atlantic 10 Championship, to be held at the USTA National Tennis Campus in Orlando, Florida. Play begins on Thursday.
Saint Joseph's 5, La Salle 1
Singles
1. Tim Stierle (SJU) def. Francesco Mowery (LAS), 6-0, 6-2
2. Andre Fick (SJU) def. Connor Merrill (LAS), 6-2, 6-3
3. Peter DeWitt (SJU) def. Rogelio Gonzalez (LAS), 6-3, 6-4
4. Tomas Christian (LAS) def. Dan Tan (SJU), 7-6 (5), 6-3
5. Johnnie Massart (SJU) def. Patrick Pascual (LAS), 6-2, 6-3
6. Luis Janko (SJU) def. Colin Lucius (LAS), 7-5, 6-1
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 6, 3, 4
Game Scores
Saint Joseph's 70, La Salle 38
Lehigh 4, Saint Joseph's 3
Doubles
1. Jacob Edelchik / Harry Wang (LEH) def. Fick / Stierle (SJU), 6-2
2. George Cooper / Jack Petersen (LEH) def. DeWitt / Tan (SJU), 6-4
3. Christopher Auteri / Bryant Born (LEH) def. Johnnie Massart / Nick Ringle (SJU), 7-6 (9)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. Stierle (SJU) def. Wang (LEH), 6-2, 7-6 (5)
2. Petersen (LEH) def. Fick (SJU), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
3. Edelchik (LEH) def. DeWitt (SJU), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
4. Tan (SJU) def. Cooper (LEH), 7-6 (1), 6-4
5. Born (LEH) def. Massart (SJU), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5
6. Janko (SJU) def. Sam Bencheghib (LEH), 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 1, 3, 2, 5
Game Scores
Singles: Saint Joseph's 79, Lehigh 74
Doubles: Lehigh 19, Saint Joseph's 12
Total: Lehigh 93, Saint Joseph's 91
