Garnet Win Third Straight, Down #23 Bates
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Swarthmore (4-9) raked in another win over a nationally-ranked opponent Thursday afternoon when they defeated the 23rd ranked Bates (4-6) by a score of 6-3. This is the third consecutive win for the men, and the third consecutive defeat of a higher-ranked opponent. Brian Nalitt '10, Kevin Shaughnessy '09, and Willy Nolan '10 saw wins in both their doubles and singles match.
In the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches, Bates took the early lead. The Lions used aggressive net play to frustrate the Garnet. But as soon as Swat gained control, they ran with it. At No.3 doubles, Nolan and Mark Greenburg '09 set the pace for the Garnet, winning 8-4. Not far behind were Kevin Shaughnessy '09 and Nalitt with a No.3 doubles victory over Amrit Rupasinghe and Ryan Mannelly, 8-5.
Jonathan Lo '08 and Jon Reiss '07 rallied back from their early deficit to lead 6-5 at No. 1 doubles, but the Lions proved to be too much for them, as Swarthmore pair fell 8-6.
Reiss went on to battle doubles opponent Benjamin Stein at No. 1 singles. Though Stein offered a challenged, Reiss took the win 6-4, 6-3.
Nalitt continued his consistent play to take his match 6-3, 6-3. Shaughnessy fought through cramps to defeat his opponent 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6). But it was Nolan who sealed the overall win with his victory over Danilo Acosta, 7-5, 6-3, the sixth consecutive victory for Nolan, improving his record to 9-4 on the season.
The Garnet will host Washington (Md.) Sunday afternoon at noon. Weather permitting, the matches will be held on Faulkner Courts.