by Doug Page
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA. – The Barton College men's tennis team ended its weekend road-trip with a 5-4 loss in Conference Carolinas action against Emmanuel College on Saturday.
Barton (3-7, 1-1) won three singles matches against the Lions but it wouldn't be enough for the Bulldogs, who dropped their first league matchup of the season. Emmanuel (6-9, 2-1) held a 2-1 advantage following the completion of doubles action and would split single play with wins at the No. 2, 4, and 6 positions.
Emmanuel took a 1-0 lead in the match after tallying an 8-0 win at the No. 2 spot as Enrique Alcacer and Juan Carlos Romero defeated Barton's Jesus Gil and Diego Agudelo.
Barton would knot the match 1-1 as Rory Gaydon and Oscar Marmestedt recorded an 8-3 victory at the top doubles position against Tom Jarry and Noah Johansen. The Lions grabbed a 2-1 advantage heading into singles play as Jorge Canadas and Lucas Pereira defeated Barton's Ermanno Galimberti and Martjin Eleveld 8-3.
The Bulldogs would win three singles matches as Gaydon outlasted his counterpart in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 marathon for Barton. Agudelo would also need three sets to tally a win for BC at the No. 3 position as he won the opening set 6-3 before dropping the second 6-4. He recorded a 10-4 victory in the third set to secure the win.
Alessandro Gerbino tallied an 8-1 decision at the No. 5 position for the third victory of the match in singles action for BC.
Emmanuel won a pair of three-set matches against BC as Pereira outlasted Gil at the No. 4 position 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. Alcacer handed Galimberti a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3 loss at the No. 6 spot, while the Lions also tallied a win at the No. 2 position.
The Bulldogs return home to host Belmont Abbey in a league matchup on Mar. 21 at 2 p.m.
