by Kevin Buczek
BANNER ELK, N.C.-Senior Pier-Alexandre Desilets won both of his matches on Saturday for Barton College but Lees-McRae College held on for a 5-4 Conference Carolinas men's tennis victory on Saturday.
The young Bulldogs squad that features four freshmen in its singles and doubles lineup has dropped three league matches by the narrowest of margins. Barton is 4-9 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Lees-McRae took a 2-1 lead in doubles and then split the six singles matches to squeak out the victory. The Bobcats improved to 2-10 and 2-5.
Desilets paired up with freshman Antoine Massicotte for the Bulldogs lone win in doubles winning the middle matchup 8-5. The tandom of Desilets and Massicotte are 6-7 as partners.
The two-time All-Conference honoree from Montreal, Canada then rallied from a 6-1 loss in the first set to win the featured singles match with a pair of 6-3 wins in the final two races to six.
Senior Renato Mendes added a 6-3, 6-4 win in the third draw and freshman Jorge Pradilla gutted out a 7-5, 7-5 victory in the fourth position.
Desilets and Pradilla pace the Bulldogs with matching 7-6 records in singles action. Mendes is 6-5.
Barton next hosts Conference Carolinas rival Coker College on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
