Box Score

Pittsford, NY -- The Elmira College men's tennis team (5-5, 2-2 E8) set out to win their third Empire 8 Conference match in a row and do something that no EC men's tennis team has done in at least the last 14 seasons, beat Nazareth College (1-8, 1-1 E8). The Soaring Eagles will have to wait a season to earn that elusive victory over the Golden Flyers as the men were defeated by Nazareth, 6-3, in a close fought match. Satchal Waters '16 had a hand in two of EC's three victories, winning at second doubles and fifth singles.   
 
Similar to both the outcome and the result of nearly every individual match played this afternoon, the three doubles matches were nail-biting affairs. Sam Pine '14 and Keith Bujak '15 were victims of a late break of serve in their 8-6 loss at first doubles, as were Pavle Vashakidze '16 and Scott Ferron '16 in their identical 8-6 defeat at third doubles. Elmira was able to secure their one doubles point at second doubles where Waters and partner Austin Mansell '16 pulled away for an 8-5 win.
 
Trailing 2-1, the Soaring Eagles needed to win four out of the six singles matches to pull out the victory. EC took a step in that direction after Vashakidze dismantled Nazareth's Tyler Williams at first singles with a 6-0, 6-3 win. The Purple and Gold also received a standout effort from Waters in singles play after he rolled to an impressive 6-0, 6-1 victory at fifth singles.
 
That left EC needing two additional victories with four matches left on the court. Unfortunately for the Soaring Eagles, none of those matches would go in their favor. Bujak and Ferron would lose in straight sets at second and sixth singles respectively, leaving it up to Pine and Mansell to pull out the match.
 
Both Pine and Mansell won their first sets, but found themselves in match-deciding third sets after dropping set number two. Pine, who was playing third singles for the first time this season, came up just short in his third set, falling 6-3. Mansell suffered a similar fate at fourth singles as he fell 7-5 in the deciding third set.
 
The Soaring Eagles have a week off from competition before taking the courts for yet another crucial Empire 8 Conference match on Sunday, April 13th. EC will host St. John Fisher College at the Murray Athletic Center at 1:00 p.m. 

Singles Competition
1. Pavle Vashakidze (ECMT) def. Tyler Williams (NAZ) 6-0, 6-3
2. Erik Manske (NAZ) def. Keith Bujak (ECMT) 6-3, 6-4
3. Scott Trobert (NAZ) def. Sam Pine (ECMT) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
4. Nick Lord (NAZ) def. Austin Mansell (ECMT) 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 7-5
5. Satchal Waters (ECMT) def. Brian Roesik (NAZ) 6-0, 6-1
6. Christian Bryant (NAZ) def. Scott Ferron (ECMT) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles Competition
1. Williams/Manske (NAZ) def. Bujak/Pine (ECMT) 8-6
2. Waters/Mansell (ECMT) def. Lord/Bryant (NAZ) 8-5
3. Matt Jennings/Roesik (NAZ) def. Vashakidze/Ferron (ECMT) 8-6