by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Junior Jorge Pradilla, sophomore Nick Genest and freshman Jake McCartney all won in single and doubles in leading the Barton College men's tennis team to a convincing 7-2 Southeast Region victory over Lenoir-Rhyne University on Saturday afternoon at the Barton Tennis Complex.
The Bulldogs swept doubles play for a sixth dual match as Barton improved its overall record to 8-3. The Bears have lost three straight matches to slip to 4-8.
McCartney partnered with sophomore Rafael Ruiz to win the top doubles match 8-5. Pradilla teamed up with junior Max Leppert to produce a dramatic 9-8 (5) win in the middle showdown. Genest worked with freshman Yaxi Pintado in rolling to an 8-3 triumph in the final tilt.
Barton is 25-8 (.758) in doubles dual matches. McCartney-Ruiz (9-2), Pradilla-Leppert (7-4) and Genest-Pintado (6-2) have all have won two straight matches.
L-R produced a pair of wins in the upper half of its singles lineup to avoid the shutout. Robin Hochguertel (7-5) won the marquee match over Ruiz in three sets hanging on to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Hunter Pack (4-4) had the Bears other victory in the third flight.
McCartney (8-1) remained undefeated against fellow DII opponents at 6-0 with a Bulldogs easiest singles win. McCartney tallied a 6-4, 6-1 conquest in the second position in the lineup.
Genest (5-4), sophomore Daniel Radu (4-3) and Pradilla (2-4) all won in straight sets to seal the BC victory but all three of them needed to win a set tiebreaker along the way. Genest picked up a 6-3, 7-6 (5) success at No. 4; Radu registered a 7-6 (4), 6-1 triumph at No. 5; and Pradilla won a dramatic first set en route to 7-6 (9), 6-2 victory at No. 6.
Barton is next scheduled to play at Catawba College on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated the Indians, 5-0, in the Conference Carolinas/SAC Challenge hosted by BC in October.
