by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Senior Renato Mendes clinched the fifth point for host Barton College in a 5-4 Conference Carolinas men's tennis victory over Belmont Abbey College on Monday at the Barton Tennis Complex.
The Bulldogs (5-12 Overall, 2-7 Conf.) finally won a 5-4 league match after losing three one-point showdowns in conference play earlier in the season.
Barton had hopes of still being able to qualify for the 2012 Conference Carolinas Tournament after posting the victory but an Erskine win over Pfeiffer on Monday eliminated the Bulldogs.
If BC was to win its last tentative match, a rescheduled postponed contest against Queens University of Charlotte, the Bulldogs would move into a three-way tie for seventh place with Erskine and North Greenville but would lose the tiebreaker for the seventh and eighth seeds to both teams having lost both of its matches to those institutions by 5-4 scores. With all eight playoff positions set on the men's and women's side the Queens at Barton regular season finale for Tuesday may be cancelled (no determination as of 11 p.m. Monday).
Mendes and classmate Pier-Alexandre Desilets were honored before the start of the match as part of Barton's senior day festivities.
Mendes was instrumental in the Bulldogs only win in doubles as he teamed up with freshman Antoine Massicotte for an 8-4 victory in the middle pairs match.
Barton rallied from the 2-1 deficit after doubles by winning the final four singles showdowns.
After the freshman trio of Massicotte (6-0, 6-0), Jorge Pradilla (7-5, 6-2) and Eric Simmons (6-1, 6-3) all won in straight sets, Mendes snapped the Bulldogs six game losing streak with the fifth team point winning the No. 3 singles match 7-6 (4), 6-4.
