Stags earn top seed in SCIAC tourney with 7-2 win at No. 11 Pomona-Pitzer
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team closed out regular season conference play with a 7-2 win at No. 11 Pomona-Pitzer on Thursday night in a match that was considerably more competitive than the final result indicates. Senior captain Glenn Hull (CMC) won at No. 2 doubles and then clinched at No. 2 singles, on a night when CMS saved multiple set and match points, and converted in all four tie-breaks contested.
The Stags narrowly averted a doubles sweep when Hull and freshman partner Jake Berber (CMC) had to break serve to stay in their match at No. 2. Down 7-6 and returning to stay alive, the Stags duo broke at love and then held to lead 8-7. After Pomona-Pitzer held for 8-all, Berber and Hull raced out to a 5-0 lead in the tie-break before surrendering the next five points. Hull and Berber then won the next two points to give CMS their first match win.
In the singles, the Stags had to pull off a similar high wire act in four of the six matches, despite ultimately prevailing at every position. Freshman Nikolai Parodi (CMC) trailed 5-3 in the first set at No. 1 singles to the West Region's top player Jake Yasgoor. After saving three set points, Parodi evened the match at 5-all and then broke serve at 5-6 to win the set. Parodi went on to win the second set with just one break of serve at 5-6, giving CMS their fourth win of the dual.
Hull won his first set at No. 2 by a 6-4 margin, but then trailed by 5-1 and two breaks of serve in the second set. The senior captain saved six set points before prevailing in his second tie-break of the night, giving CMS the clinching win and an insurmountable 5-2 lead.
Senior Daniel Morkovine (CMC) got the Stags' third tie-break win of the match, as he endured five set points but came out on top 15-13 in his first set at No. 3. Morkovine earned his team leading 21st win of the season by taking the second set 6-4. As Morkovine finished, junior Patrick Wildman (CMC) was forcing a decisive match tie-break at No. 4, having fought back from 7-5, 3-0 down to save two match points and take the second set tie-break 10-8. Wildman battled through a severe migraine while his opponent nearly retired due to cramps, with Wildman holding on for an 11-9 match tie-break win to complete the dual match.
CMS is now 23-2 overall and 7-0 in SCIAC and will enter the SCIAC tourney on May 5 as the top seed. In the meantime, CMS will face three out of division foes, beginning with Division II UC San Diego (11-9). The No. 12 Tritons visit the Biszantz Family Tennis Center this Saturday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.
#3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7) vs. #11 Pomona-Pitzer (2)
April 20, 2017 at Claremont, CA (Pauley Tennis Complex)
Doubles
1. Spencer Simonides / Anthony Bello (PP) def. Julian Gordy / Daniel Morkovine (CMS) 8-6
2. Jake Berber / Glenn Hull (CMS) def. Graham Maassen / Jake Yasgoor (PP) 9-8(5)
3. Avery Bicks / Marko Mandic (PP) def. Alex Brenner / Nikolai Parodi (CMS) 8-6
Singles
1. Nikolai Parodi (CMS) def. Jake Yasgoor (PP) 7-5, 7-5
2. Glenn Hull (CMS) def. Graham Maassen (PP) 6-4, 7-6(3)
3. Daniel Morkovine (CMS) def. Anthony Bello (PP) 7-6(13), 6-4
4. Patrick Wildman (CMS) def. Josh Kim (PP) 5-7, 7-6(8), (11-9)
5. Max Macey (CMS) def. Marko Mandic (PP) 7-5, 6-1
6. Daniel Park (CMS) def. Sam Malech (PP) 6-3, 6-2
Order of completion
Doubles: 3, 1, 2
Singles: 6, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4
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