Yellow Jackets Top Warriors, 8-1

DEFIANCE, OHIO – The Yellow Jackets men's tennis team pushed its record to an even 4-4 after defeating the visiting Rochester (Mich.) College Warriors with an 8-1 score.

Senior Mike Ross (Bryan) was the first Defiance player to pick up a point on the evening and did so in quick fashion winning 6-1, 6-0. The win advances his singles record to 3-4, all at the top slot.

Not long after did fellow senior Justin Walker (Wilson, N.C. /Hunt) improve his record to 4-3, 2-2 at fourth singles. He wrapped up his victory with a 6-1, 6-1 final.

The Yellow Jackets then locked in the victory thanks to a retirement at six singles and a pair of wins from sophomore James Demeo (Oregon/Clay) and senior Ryan Nelson (Oregon/Clay) at second and third singles. Demeo's number two singles record now stands at 3-4 after his 6-2, 6-2 victory. Nelson took the first set 6-1 but had to scrape out a 7-5 win in the second to clinch the contest. Nelson's record is now 4-2 overall and 3-2 at the position.

To complete the sweep in singles, sophomore Tory Savage (Bryan) topped his fifth singles opponent by a score of 6-2, 6-3 evening out to 4-4 in the process. The win was his second at fifth singles in as many contests.

Defiance picked up another retirement win at third doubles and opted to rest the usual first doubles team of Ross and Walker to give experience to the rearranged second and third doubles pairs.

Former high school teammates Demeo and Nelson took the role of first doubles for the match. After falling behind to an early 5-2 deficit, the duo fought back to force an 8-8 tiebreaker where they would fall 7-1.

At second doubles, Savage and Swisher would push forward to an early 4-1 lead. However, their opponents would fight back to make the score 6-5 before pulling away to an 8-5 victory.

The Yellow Jackets will follow up their victory with its first HCAC match of the season the team will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Mount St. Joseph University Lions. The match is scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, Mar. 28 from the Mount Tennis Courts.