by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Both Barton College four-year letter winners won on Senior Day in a 6-3 non-conference women's tennisloss to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Tuesday afternoon at the Barton Tennis Complex.
Lindsey Frederick and Francesca Del Pozo were honored by Barton head coach Tom Schrecengost and both tennis teams before the match. Frederick went on to win an exciting three-set singles match and Francesca Del Pozo garnered the Lady Bulldogs first team point with a tiebreak win in her doubles match.
"It certainly was satisfying for Freddie and Fran to win their final home matches of their careers," said Coach Schrecengost. "The fact the matches were so close and they had to battle to win makes it that much sweeter for them. They both showed a lot of heart."
UNCP (11-11 Overall) won the top two doubles matches before Del Pozo partnered with junior Caroline Fischer for a thrilling doubles win to send the match into singles with the Braves only leading by one team point. Del Pozo-Fischer rallied to win a tiebreaker 7-5 to prevail 9-8 for the duo's eighth win together.
UNC Pembroke pulled to within one point of the team triumph with singles sweeps at the upper two positions in the lineup but a sophomore Meredith Pruden (11-7) kept the Lady Bulldogs alive with a 6-3, 6-3 conquest at No. 3 but Fischer was unable to complete a comeback at No. 5 as the Braves clinched the victory by holding off Fischer by a final score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
Frederick (9-8) enters postseason play with a winning record in dual matches after winning a super set tiebreaker in the fourth slot in the lineup. Frederick tallied a 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 win for the Lady Bulldogs final team point.
Junior Kristy Lievense battled hard in a wild 7-5, 6-7 (7), 10-7 marathon loss at No. 6 that doubled up the final margin of defeat.
Barton (10-9) enters the 2013 Conference Carolinas Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play third-seeded Queens University of Charlotte in the quarterfinals on Friday at Noon. The men's team also qualified for the league tourney as the eighth-seed and will play top-seeded Coker College on Friday at 9 a.m. The championships are once again hosted by Erskine College at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C.
