The 12th-ranked University of Redlands men's tennis team broke a three-all tie in the overall scoring to earn an exciting 6-3 victory over No. 17 Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) in Wednesday's non-conference bout on Verdieck Courts.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 2-1 lead with a pair of 8-6 decisions in the doubles matches. The No. 1 duo of sophomores Gram Leahy (Portland, OR) and Patrick Lipscomb (Irvine, CA) recorded the first win of the match, while sophomores Max Licona (Culver City, CA) and Teddy Jones (St. Louis, MO) rallied for another victory at No. 3. Amidst a tight battle, the Gusties earned the slight edge in a close 9-8(7) effort at No. 2.
Leading 2-1, the Bulldogs continued to pull away with senior Connor Hyde's (Peterborough, NH) 6-3, 6-4 performance at the No. 3 slot in singles.
However, Gustavus refused to back down, firing off consecutive wins at Nos. 1 and 2 to even the count at three apiece.
Needing two of the final three singles matches for the team victory, Redlands gained positive results at every remaining position. Sophomore Taylor Hunt (Seattle, WA) registered a 7-6(3), 7-5 showing at No. 4, while senior John Brewer (Portland, OR) took down his No. 5 opponent, 7-5, 7-5. Freshman Jacob Lousche (Bakersfield, CA) secured the sixth point for the Bulldogs with his 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 triumph at No. 6.
Redlands (11-7, 3-1 SCIAC) heads to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday for a 4 p.m. match against the Stags, who are ranked No. 1 in the country. Fans may follow the match via live web streaming.
