by Doug Page
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College men's tennis team wouldn't let a 2-1 lead following doubles play slip away on Friday as the Bulldogs handed the North Greenville Crusaders a 7-2 loss at the BC Tennis Complex.
Barton (5-12, 3-6) helped its positioning for the upcoming Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship as the Bulldogs sit in seventh with a matchup against eighth-place Southern Wesleyan on Saturday in Wilson. North Greenville (8-11, 5-3) wouldn't be able to overcome a 2-1 deficit following doubles play and dropped a pair of three-set matches in singles play against BC.
Freshman Diego Agudelo and freshman Oscar Marmestedt would be victorious at the No. 1 position of doubles action for the Bulldogs, handing the North Greenville duo of Dion Nijboer and Giacomo Garini an 8-4 defeat. Sophomore Rory Gaydon and junior Jesus Gil found themselves locked in a battle at the No. 2 position as they would hold on for an 8-7 victory against NGU's Alejandro dela Torre and Yannis Moulod.
The Crusaders tallied an 8-5 win at the No. 3 position to enter singles play trailing 2-1. Pierre-Oliver Bedard and Austin Schlarb bested the Barton tandem of sophomore Ermanno Galimberti and freshman Hugh Ryder.
Freshman Alessandro Gerbino recorded a 6-2, 6-1 win against Garini at the No. 5 position for BC, while Galimberti handed Schlarb a 6-0, 6-0 defeat at the No. 6 position.
Agudelo would win 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 3 position for Barton, while Bedard tallied a win for NGU at the No. 4 position against Gil.
Gaydon and Marmestedt needed a third-set to determine each of their matches as Gaydon notched a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win against Nijboer at the No. 1 position for Barton. Marmestedt rallied from seeing his match at the No. 2 position tied to record a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory against dela Torre.
Barton will finish regular season play at home on April 14 against Southern Wesleyan beginning at 11 a.m.
