With a well-balanced effort, the No. 15 University of Redlands men's tennis team defeated UC Santa Cruz for the first time since April 23, 2006, earning a 6-3 triumph over the 19th-ranked Banana Slugs in Tuesday's regional showdown on Verdieck Courts.
After a rocky start to the match at No. 1 doubles, the Maroon and Gray bounced back to earn both of the remaining points. The No. 3 tandem of freshman Jake Ly (Torrance, CA) and junior Ted Burchett (Gold River, CA) evened the count with an 8-5 victory, before juniors Patrick Lipscomb (Irvine, CA) and Gram Leahy (Portland, OR) came up with an 8-6 showing at No. 2.
Redlands maintained the momentum by winning three in a row to start the singles. Lipscomb fired off a 6-1, 6-2 performance at the top slot, while Leahy followed suit at No. 6 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. With a 4-1 advantage in the overall tally, the Bulldogs looked to freshman Tom Suchodolski (Amherst, CA) to defeat his No. 3 opponent by scores of 6-3, 6-4 to secure the deciding point.
In addition, junior Nick Cummins (Rancho Mirage, CA) posted a 6-3, 4-6, 11-9 victory at the No. 2 position for the Maroon and Gray.
Today's win marks the second time this season that Redlands has halted a significant skid against an in-region opponent, following the Bulldogs' 5-4 triumph against Cal Lutheran University at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoor Championship on Feb. 22.
Redlands (7-7) next faces off against No. 2 Williams College (MA) on Friday in this season's final non-conference match on Verdieck Courts. First serve against the Ephs is scheduled for 2 p.m.
