ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University men's tennis team opened its 2017 spring season with a 5-4 win over East Texas Baptist University at the Seidel-Swagerty Tennis Center. The War Hawks are now 1-0, while the Tigers fell to 0-2.
 
The McM squad opened the afternoon by taking two of the three doubles bouts. The tandem of Carlos Martinez and Andrew Hallowell – both newcomers to the roster – won at No. 1 doubles, 8-2.  Sophomore Logan Daniell and freshman Zander Smith won at No. 3 doubles, 8-6.
 
In singles play, Martinez also earned his first singles win as a War Hawk, earning a 6-1, 6-3 straight-set win at the No. 1 position.  At No. 2 singles, veteran Clayton Pope – from Abilene's Cooper High School - started his junior year off with a default victory.  Pope was up a set (6-2) and leading 5-2 in the second when ETBU's player swung his racket at the net in frustration. The racket slipped out of his hand and flew across the net, an automatic disqualification, and actually hit Pope.
 
The match-clinching win came at No. 4 singles, where Daniell defeated the Tigers' Rollin Houk. Daniell won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.