by Doug Page
RALEIGH, N.C. – With four victories in singles play, the Barton College Bulldogs notched their first win of the season against the Shaw University Bears on Monday at Worthdale Park. The Bulldogs recorded a 6-3 decision against the Bears in non-conference men's tennis action.
Barton (1-4) recorded victories at the No. 3 through No. 6 positions in singles action, including a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins from Alessandro Gerbino and Hugh Ryder. Shaw (0-1) dropped its first match of the season despite tallying wins at the No. 1 doubles position and No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots.
The Bears tallied their lone point of the doubles competition at the top spot as Oscar Del Granado and Ngonidzashe Makambwa rallied past the Bulldogs No. 1 tandem of Oscar Marmestedt and Rory Gaydon.
BC responded by earning wins in the other two doubles matches as Jesus Gil and Diego Agudelo handed Shaw's Daniel Ac and Destiny Udofe an 8-3 loss. Ryder and Gerbino would give the Bulldogs a 2-1 edge heading into singles play with an 8-1 win against Enrico Baldon and Junior Davis-Bablola.
In the singles portion of the match, the Bears would secure victories at the top two pairings as Del Granado bested Gaydon 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the No. 1 spot while Makambwa tallied a 6-2, 6-2 win against Marmestedt.
Gil tallied a 6-2, 6-1 win for BC at the No. 3 position against Shaw's Ac and would be followed by Agudelo giving Barton another point at the No. 4 position with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Udofe.
Ryder and Gerbino would make quick work in the No. 6 and No. 5 position by recording a pair of 6-0, 6-0 victories against Shaw's Baldon and Davis-Bablola.
The Bulldogs head to Bluefield, W.V. on Wednesday for a non-conference tilt against Bluefield State and return home to open a three-game homestand starting with Mercyhurst University on Thursday at 2 p.m.
