Stags Still Perfect in SCIAC

Sixth ranked CMS Stags Tennis concluded the SCIAC regular season with an 8-1 victory at #14 Redlands on Saturday. Freshman Nikolas Marino (San Diego, CA [pictured right]) was part of a comeback victory at #1 doubles, and then won in straight sets at #4 singles in leading CMS to their seventeenth win of the season.

With the Stags leading 2-0 after wins at #2 and #3 doubles, Marino and partner Warren Wood (Fr. - Del Mar, CA) fought back from a 7-3 and two service break deficit, needing to break serve three times and save three match points to force a tie-break at 8-all. Having reached the tie-break, CMS #1 pair took control for a 7-2 win that completed a Stags doubles sweep. Second pair Neel Kotrappa (So. - La Verne, CA) and Brandon Wei (Sr. - Lake Oswego, OR) continued their solid play by winning their 15th match together, while Stags #3 Alex Lane (Jr. - Claremont, CA) and Robbie Erani (Sr. Capt - New York, NY) remained undefeated in four matches together.

CMS' freshmen led the way in singles, as Wood, Cameron Bernhardt (Fr. San Diego, CA), and Marino earned straight set wins at #1, #5, and #4 to put the Stags up 6-0. Marino is now 10-1 in dual matches and 13-2 overall on the season. Bernhardt is 5-0 in duals and 8-1 overall, while Wood - playing most of the season at the #1 position - is now 13-6 in dual matches, and 17-7 overall.

At the #2, #3, and #6 singles spots, Lane, Erani and Alex Johnson (Jr. - Thousand Oaks, CA) all dropped first sets before winning  second sets and forcing decisive third set match tie-breaks. Erani erased a break deficit in the second before coming on strong and winning 10-4 in the third set match tie-break, while Lane needed only one match point at 9-8 to put CMS up 8-0. Johnson suffered the Stags' lone singles defeat despite a 5-2 lead and three set points in the first.

Next up for CMS is the prestigious 112th Ojai Valley Tournament which begins Friday, April 27 at Moranda Park in Port Hueneme. The Stags will have eight (8) singles players and four (4) doubles teams competing. CMS' Alex Lane is the defending Division III Ojai singles champion.

Following Ojai, the Stags return to Redlands as the top seed in the SCIAC tournament May 4-5. CMS will receive a bye in the first round and will play the winner of the #4 vs #5 match on Friday, May 4 at 2:30 PM.

#6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (8) vs. #14 Redlands (1)
April 21, 2012 at Redlands, CA (Verdieck Courts)

Doubles
1. Warren Wood / Nik Marino (CMS) def. Patrick Lipscomb / Mark Bloom (Redlands) 9-8(2)
2. Neel Kotrappa / Brandon Wei (CMS) def. Nick Cummins / Teddy Jones (Redlands) 8-6
3. Robbie Erani / Alex Lane (CMS) def. Anish Nanda / Gram Leahy (Redlands) 8-3

Singles
1. Warren Wood (CMS) def. Patrick Lipscomb (Redlands) 6-2, 6-3
2. Alex Lane (CMS) def. Nick Cummins (Redlands) 5-7, 6-4, (10-8)
3. Robbie Erani (CMS) def. Mark Bloom (Redlands) 2-6, 7-5, (10-4)
4. Nik Marino (CMS) def. Anish Nanda (Redlands) 6-3, 6-2
5. Cameron Bernhardt (CMS) def. Darren Dahl (Redlands) 6-4, 6-3
6. Taylor Hunt (Redlands) def. Alex Johnson (CMS) 7-6(3), 2-6, (10-7)

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