Bulldog tennis advances to championship match with 5-3 upset of top-seeded Mount Olive

by Cory Guinn

SUMTER, S.C. – The Barton men's tennis team upset No. 1 seed Mount Olive 5-3 on Saturday morning in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Semifinals at the Palmetto Tennis Center.

Barton, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, advances to the tournament final for the first time since the 2013-14 season to take on No. 2 seed Belmont Abbey College.

The Bulldogs picked up two critical point in doubles play for an early lead. The No. 3 duo of freshman Rory Gaydon and senior Jake McCartney won 8-2, before the No. 1 doubles team of freshman Julian Bosch and sophomore Jesus Gil won a marathon match by a score of 8-7 (18-16).

Mount Olive was able to collect a point with a win in the No. 2 doubles position, followed by two singles wins at No. 3 and No. 4.

However, Barton's top two spots, occupied by Bosch and McCartney, were both victorious. Bosch won his No. 1 matchup by a score of 6-3, 6-1, while McCartney was a 6-3, 6-3 victor. Gil, playing in the No. 6 position, won 6-4, 6-3 as BC collected the five points it needed for the win.

Barton and Belmont Abbey square off in the championship match tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.

Barton 5, Mount Olive 3

Singles:
1. Julian Bosch (BARTON) def. Ogulcan Deniz (UMO-M) 6-3, 6-1
2. Jake McCartney (BARTON) def. Jose Cortijos (UMO-M) 6-3, 6-3
3. Martin Moser (UMO-M) def. Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 6-0, 6-1
4. Martim Sousa (UMO-M) def. Rory Gaydon (BARTON) 6-0, 7-5
5. Jack Middleton (UMO-M) vs. Ermanno Galimberti (BARTON) 4-6, 5-2, unfinished
6. Jesus Gil (BARTON) def. Jacob Clarke (UMO-M) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles:
1. Jesus Gil/Julian Bosch (BARTON) def. Jose Cortijos/Martim Sousa (UMO-M) 8-7 (18-16)
2. Ogulcan Deniz/Martin Moser (UMO-M) def. Yaxi Pintado/Ermanno Galimberti (BARTON) 8-2
3. Rory Gaydon/Jake McCartney (BARTON) def. Jack Middleton/Juan Arbelaez (UMO-M) 8-2