WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College women's tennis team rolled to a 7-2 victory but Shaw University rallied for a 5-4 win on the men's side to prevent a sweep during Tuesday's Senior Day for the Bulldogs.
Jaime Galasso (Winston-Salem, N.C.) – the Lady Bulldogs lone senior – did not lose a single game helping Barton improve to 7-8 on the season. The Lady Bears fell to 5-3.
On the men's side, No. 32 nationally ranked Cesar Grobel (Sao Paulo, Brazil) matched Galasso's feat by winning with an perfect singles score of 6-0, 6-0. Classmates Leandro Peron (Santana de Parnaiba, Brazil) and Diego Salinas (Mexico City, Mexico) both went the distance but finally lost in three-sets as Barton dipped to 9-6 with its third straight defeat.
The veteran quartet was honored before the match by third year head coach Tom Schrecengost for their tenure as Barton College student-athletes with the tennis program.
The Shaw men trailed 0-4 but won the final five singles matches to rally back for the improbable comeback to stay undefeated at 10-0. The Bears won all four tilts that went three sets. Andre Monti held off Peron 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to deadlock the match 4-4 before Daniel Vasquez edged Salinas 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to complete the retaliation.
Freshman No. 2 Gabriel Araujo (Recife, Brazil) and junior No. 3 P.A. Desilets (Beloeil, Canada) both won their first sets for the Royal Blue and White. Gabriel Nicotra fought back and defeated Araujo 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 while Kalada Kienka rallied past Desilets 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ataide Suca provided the Bears first point with a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 4 over BC junior Renato Mendes (Sao Paulo, Brazil).
Barton secured a 3-0 lead with its ninth doubles sweep of the season. Grobel-Araujo started the day with an 8-3 win, Desilets-Peron rolled 8-2, and Salinas-Mendes won the final three games for an 8-6 victory.
Grobel and Araujo have won eight straight trips to the court together.
The Lady Bulldogs captured an early 2-1 edge in doubles competition. Junior Lindsay Toth (Sewickley, Pa.) and freshman Carol Fischer (Socorro, Brazil) teamed up for dominating 8-0 win in the middle tandem while Galasso and sophomore Francesca Del Pozo (Lima, Peru) were credited with a default win at No. 3.
Barton completed the 7-2 conquest winning four singles matches in straight sets and earning a forfeit win in the final slot. Galasso and Fischer both finished singles play with unblemished 6-0, 6-0 victories. Toth won her first round 7-5 before her counterpart retired. Deane capped women's tennis for the year at the Barton Tennis Complex with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win in the top flight.
Deane (8-6) has won six consecutive singles matches and is tied with Fischer (8-6) and Galasso (8-4) with eight wins apiece.
Barton will head to the western part of the state for a pair of Conference Carolinas matches this coming weekend. The Bulldogs travel to Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. before visiting Belmont Abbey College on Sunday at 1 p.m.
