ELSAH, IL - The Principia Men's Tennis team hosted Millikin University and Lewis & Clark Community College for a tri-match on Saturday, coming away with a win and a loss on the day.
The Panthers found themselves down 2-0 early in the first match against Millikin, needing a win from
Daniel Gomez and
William Johnson at the top spot to avoid a doubles sweep. Holding a 6-5 lead, they broke serve and then Gomez held his serve to give Principia a big point in the overall match.
Gomez made quick work of his opponent in singles to even the match at 2-2. Millikin then pulled ahead with a win over Johnson at #4 singles, but
Juan Segovia tied things back up at 3-3 with a win at #2. Unfortunately, it was all Millikin from then on, as they took the final three matches for a 6-3 win, snapping the Panthers' four match win streak.
The Panthers came out firing in doubles with wins on all three courts against Lewis & Clark. The top half of the lineup of Gomez, Segovia, and
Rafter Sprague raced to easy wins in singles for a 6-0 Panther lead. Johnson pulled off a great comeback at #4, taking the second set and dominating the third set tiebreak.
Everett Poznick capped the night with a straight set win at #6, making it an 8-1 final. Since Lewis & Clark is a community college and not part of NCAA, this match will count as an exhibition win.
Up Next: The Panthers travel to California for spring break and play next in Claremont, CA on Monday against Pomona-Pitzer.
