Stags' singles ignites 6-3 comeback win over #10 Pomona-Pitzer
A day after seeing their national ranking fall from #2 to #4, CMS Stags Tennis rallied from 2-1 down and won five of six singles to defeat rival Pomona-Pitzer on Friday. Senior captain Skyler Butts (Santa Ana, CA) became the all-time leader in career singles victories with his 112th, a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win at the #1 position for the Stags' final point.
CMS had opportunities to earn a 2-1 advantage going into the singles, with Butts and Daniel Morkovine (Jr. - San Carlos, CA) serving for the match at 7-6 at #1, and Glenn Hull (Jr. - Brookings, OR) and Lestter Yeh (Sr. - Arcadia, CA) holding a 6-3 one break lead at the #3 slot. Morkovine was broken at 7-6, but the pair then broke and Butts served out the match to even the score at 1-1. Pomona-Pitzer then seized the doubles advantage by winning five consecutive games at #3.
Needing a spark early in the singles, the Stags fell behind by early service breaks at the #2, #3, #4, and #6 positions, and it looked as if Pomona-Pitzer might be on the verge of breaking the match open. But CMS rallied, and led by Yeh at #5 and Butts at #1, then junior Max Macey (Wilton, CT) at #4, and sophomore Patrick Wildman (Cincinnati, OH) at #6, the Stags won four of six first sets to take control of the dual match.
With Morkovine racing back to win an easy second set, Macey and Yeh got the Stags even and then ahead 3-2 with their straight set victories. Morkovine put CMS up 4-2 with a 6-0 third set win at #3, setting the stage for Wildman to clinch in two sets at #6. Butts' twenty-first singles win of the season was one of his toughest and most memorable, as he overtakes former teammate Warren Wood for most singles victories in a CMS career.
CMS is back in action on Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 AM hosting Cal Lutheran in a SCIAC dual. Then at 3:00 PM, the Stags host #3 Middlebury in a re-match of last year's NCAA team championship.
#4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6) vs. #10 Pomona-Pitzer (3)
April 1, 2016 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Skyler Butts / Daniel Morkovine (CMS) def. Graham Maassen / Spencer Simonides (PP) 9-7
2. Jake Yasgoor / Jon Kim (PP) def. Max Macey / Oliver Seifert (CMS) 8-3
3. Kalyan Chadalavada / Josh Kim (PP) def. Glenn Hull / Lestter Yeh (CMS) 8-6
Singles
1. Skyler Butts (CMS) def. Graham Maassen (PP) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
2. Jake Yasgoor (PP) def. Glenn Hull (CMS) 7-6(4), 7-6(6)
3. Daniel Morkovine (CMS) def. Jon Kim (PP) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
4. Max Macey (CMS) def. Antony Bello (PP) 6-3, 6-1
5. Lestter Yeh (CMS) def. Sam Malech (PP) 6-1, 6-4
6. Patrick Wildman (CMS) def. Josh Gearou (PP) 6-4, 6-3
Order of completion
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 4, 5, 3, 6, 2, 1