SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Endicott men's tennis team picked up its first win of the 2015 season with a 7-2 victory over Springfield College in non-conference action on Monday evening.
Endicott took a 2-1 advantage into singles play as the Gulls received a pair of 8-6 victories at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, respectively, from Christopher Kirkpatrick (Newburyport, Mass.) / Michael Dolph (Stratford, Conn.) and Eric Pierce (Barrington, R.I.) / Keaton McCleary (Newtown, Conn.).
In singles action, Endicott made quick work of Springfield at the No. 5, No. 4, and No. 3 positions to earn the victory in that specific order before Kirkpatrick and Pierce closed out the non-conference match with wins at No. 1 and No. 2.
Sophomore Nicholas Eherts (New Milford, Conn.) breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 decision at No. 5, while junior Sean McAndrews (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) posted a 6-1, 6-1 triumph at No. 4. Dolph immediately followed with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 3 to wrap up Endicott's first win of the 2015 season.
Later in the match, Pierce picked up a 6-2, 6-3 triumph at No. 2, while Kirkpatrick improved to 2-0 in the No. 1 position for the Gulls with a gritty 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 13-11 decision over Springfield freshman Court Honda (Marioka, Japan).
TOP QUOTE
"This was a closer match than the score indicates," said Endicott men's tennis head coach Jeremy Howard. "I am proud of how the guys competed in the big points today, especially during doubles play. I am happy with the win but now we have to reset our focus to playing Stonehill on Thursday at home."
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott is 2-1 overall against Springfield in the last three meetings between the two clubs.
- All three matches have been decided by a 7-2 score.
- Like Kirkpatrick, Eherts is also undefeated in singles play this season (2-0 at No. 5).
- McCleary earned his first collegiate victory in doubles play today with Pierce.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (1-1) hosts Stonehill College, an NCAA Division II program, on Thursday in a non-conference matchup at 3:30 p.m. Springfield (0-2), who will not compete in another match during the fall 2015 season, returns to action on March 22 against Rhode Island College on the road. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
