Stags Drops Tight Battle with Bowdoin for Stag-Hen Title

Claremont, Calif. - The No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team dropped a tight match against the No. 4 Bowdoin Polar Bears on Tuesday morning in the Title match of the Stag-Hen Invitational. While the Stags fell 7-2, the match felt much closer with four of the six singles matches going to three sets. Oscar Burney (CMC) won the only singles match for CMS at No. 3 singles with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory.  In doubles play, Burney teamed up with Jack Katzman (CMC) to win the other point for the Stags with an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles.

In what could be a preview of a Elite Eight NCAA tournament action in late May, CMS and Bowdoin battled in a three-hour high intensity dual match before the Polar Bears claimed their first Stag-Hen crown. Despite the 7-2 final, CMS failed to capitalize in four matches that might have made the difference. At No. 1 doubles, junior Julian Gordy (CMC) and sophomore Nikolai Parodi (CMC) led 4-2 and 5-3 with multiple break point opportunities to take a two break lead. In singles,  Katzman suffered his first dual match loss of the season at No. 2, despite holding service break leads in all three sets. While Parodi never led at the No. 1 singles spot, he put himself in position to win by forcing tie-breaks in the first and decisive third sets, and saving five match points at 5-3 in the final set. Sophomore Matthew Jacobs (CMC) got out to an early one set lead at No. 6 singles, but was unable to hold off Bowdoin's Justin Patel, who earned the Polar Bears' clinching match victory.

Burney's singles win at No. 3 was his fourth straight, and he was the only CMS player to remain undefeated (6-0) in singles and doubles during the Stag-Hen Invitational.

The Stags move to 10-2 on the season and return to action on Thursday when they host Wheaton (MA) at 10:00 a.m. and No. 27 Skidmore at 3:00 p.m.

#2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2) vs. #4 Bowdoin (7)
March 13, 2018 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center) - Stag-Hen Invitational Championship

Doubles
1. Grant Urken / Luke Tercek (Bowdoin) def. Julian Gordy / Nikolai Parodi (CMS) 8-5
2. Oscar Burney Jack Katzman (CMS) def. Kyle Wolfe / Yangeng Jiang (Bowdoin) 8-4
3. Gil Roddy / Justin Patel (Bowdoin) def. Jake Berber / Daniel Park (CMS) 8-3

Singles
1. Grant Urken (Bowdoin) def. Nikolai Parodi (CMS) 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(3)
2. Luke Tercek (Bowdoin) def. Jack Katzman (CMS) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
3. Oscar Burney (CMS) def. Kyle Wolfe (Bowdoin) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
4. Yangeng Jiang (Bowdoin) def. Daniel Park (CMS) 6-1, 6-1
5. Gil Roddy (Bowdoin) def. Julian Gordy (CMS) 6-4, 6-2
6. Justin Patel (Bowdoin) def. Matthew Jacobs (CMS) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

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