Box Score

PUERTO RICO – Sophomore Carlos De La Cruz (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) won the No. 5 singles match as the Nichols College men's tennis team concluded their Puerto Rico trip with a 7-2 win over the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Thursday night.

Nichols (7-1) found itself trailing 2-1 after the doubles matches. Jose Ayala and Humberto Vergara defeated freshman Joan Castillo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and junior Andrew Haas (Whitinsville, Mass.) 8-6 in No. 3 doubles, while in No. 2 doubles Hector Irizarry and Daniel Almodovar got the best of senior Dan Roman (Tolland, Conn.) and sophomore Josh Halpern (Secaucus, N.J.) 8-4.

In No. 1 doubles, graduate student Justin DeLuca (Mashpee, Mass.) and junior Brandon Roode (Griswold, Conn.) won 8-2 over Carlos Bruno and Fabian Rodriguez.

The Bison took complete control in the singles matches, winning each match in straight sets. DeLuca defeated Bruno 6-4, 6-0 in No. 1 singles, while Roode took down Almodovar 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.

In No. 3 singles Carlos Atienza fell to Castillo 6-2, 6-2 and freshman Jake Zapatka (Wethersfield, Conn.) defeated Vergara 6-3, 6-2. De La Cruz defeated Juan Rodriguez 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 singles while Halpern rounded things out for the Bison, defeating Carlos Micanes 6-2, 6-1.

The Bison return home to host Wheaton (MA) College Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at the Robinson Tennis Courts.