Box Score

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sophomore Josh Halpern (Secaucus, N.J.) picked up wins in both singles and doubles as the Nichols College men's tennis team defeated Coast Guard Academy 7-2 Friday afternoon in non-conference action.

The Bison (14-1) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, scoring wins at  No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Graduate student Justin DeLuca (Mashpee, Mass.) and junior Brandon Roode (Griswold, Conn.) defeated sophomores Mark Guentert (Liburn, Ga.) and Weston Fortna (Lebanon, Pa.) 8-3 at No. 1 doubles. At No. 3 doubles, Halpern and freshman James Smith (Monte Sereno, Calif.) got the best of sopohmore Townsend Hirst (Virginia Beach, Va.) and junior Jon Lightner (Stuttgart, Germany) 8-2.

The Bears (3-9) pulled out a win at No. 2 doubles. Sophomore Robert Renfrow (Leonardtown, Md.) and junior Alex Mead (Morristown, N.J.) went back-and-forth with freshman Joan Castillo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and sophomore Carlos De La Cruz (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) before coming away with the 8-6 victory.

Nichols slowly pulled away in the singles matches. Halpern defeated Lightner 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles before freshman Jake Zapatka (Wethersfield, Conn.) took down Hirst 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.

At No. 1 singles, DeLuca beat Guentert 6-3, 6-3, while Roode - the reigning Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week - pulled one out against Renfrow 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

Coast Guard pulled off its lone singles win at No. 3 singles. Fortna knocked off reigning CCC Rookie of the Week Castillo in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

De La Cruz rounded out the singles matches with a win at No. 4 singles 6-1, 4-6, 10-4 over Mead.

The Bison host conference-foe Curry College tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. at the Pomfret Tennis Courts. The Bears host Emerson College tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.