Stags Stop #7 Middlebury 6-3

Warren Wood (Fr. - Del Mar, CA) and Neel Kotrappa (So. - La Verne, CA) each won twice, to lead CMS Stags Tennis a 6-3 win over #7 Middlebury on Friday. Wood earned a come-from-behind 8-6 win at #1 doubles with first time partner Nik Marino (Fr. - San Diego, CA), then went on to win in two easy sets at #1 singles. Kotrappa and partner Brandon Wei (Sr. - Lake Oswego, OR) won their ninth straight at #2 doubles, and then Kotrappa toughed out a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win at #5 singles for the Stags' last point of the afternoon.

The Stags' tenth win of the season was marked by the return of Marino to the starting lineup for the first time since February 25th. Fllling in for the ailing Alex Lane (Jr. - Claremont, CA), Marino helped the freshmen duo at #1 doubles win seven of the last nine games to put CMS up 1-0. In singles, he fought back from a one-sided one set deficit to grab the second set, and put CMS in a position to clinch with his match. After a medical time out for cramps in the twelfth game, Marino forced a decisive tie-break and then saved two match points at 3-6, before falling 7-5 in the breaker.

That left Kotrappa and Mac Cahill (Jr. - Southport, CT) to try and clinch a 4-3 advantage. Cahill was the first to convert, serving out the match with a two break 5-2 lead to put the Stags up 5-3. Kotrappa followed a game later by serving out a 5-4 adavantage at #5 singles.

CMS improves to 10-6 on the season and will face #17 Whittier in a SCIAC match on Saturday at 10:00 AM.

#8 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6) vs. #7 Middlebury (3)
March 30, 2012 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Warren Wood / Nik Marino (CMS) def. Andrew Lebovitz / Brantner Jones (Middlebury) 8-6
2. Neel Kotrappa / Brandon Wei (CMS) def. Alec Parower / Derrick Angle (Middlebury) 8-4
3. Spencer Lunghino / David Farah (Middlebury) def. Robbie Erani / Victor Chien (CMS) 8-4

Singles
1. Warren Wood (CMS) def. Alec Parower (Middlebury) 6-0, 6-3
2. Robbie Erani (CMS) def. Derrick Angle (Middlebury) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
3. Brantner Jones (Middlebury) def. Alex Johnson (CMS) 6-1, 6-1
4. Spencer Lunghino (Middlebury) def. Nik Marino (CMS) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5)
5. Neel Kotrappa (CMS) def. Teddy Fitzgibbons (Middlebury) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
6. Mac Cahill (CMS) def. Zach Bruchmiller (Middlebury) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Order of completion
Doubles: 1, 2, 3
Singles: 3, 1, 2, 4, 6, 5