ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University men's tennis split a pair of matches at the Seidel-Swagerty Tennis Center, defeating LeTourneau University, 5-4, in its morning match before falling (9-0) to Schreiner University in the afternoon bout.
The War Hawks fell to 2-5 overall in 2017, with the split.
Versus LeTourneau, McM took a 2-1 lead in the team score after the doubles matches. The War Hawks' duo of
Carlos Martinez and
Andrew Hallowell improved their pairs-play record to 4-2, thanks to their 8-6 win over the Yellow Jackets Ty Grove and Christian Farris at the No. 1 position.
At No. 2 doubles, McM's
Clayton Pope and
Travis Gough won by an identical 8-6 score, defeating Jimmie Henson and Zac Crowley. LETU took No. 3 doubles.
In singles play, Martinez dominated Grove at No. 1, winning by scores of 6-2, 6-1. Pope lost a three-set decision at No. 2 (4-6, 6-3, 6-4). Gough won at No. 3 singles as McMurry was withing one more victory of taking the team win.
At the No. 4 slot,
Logan Daniell defeated the yellow Jackets' Curtis Martin in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to clinch the "W" for the War Hawks.
In the afternoon contest against the strong Schreiner (5-1) squad, McM lost all three doubles matches. However, at the Nos. 1 and 2 bouts, the War Hawks' tandems lost close 9-7 decisions.
At the Nos. 1-3 singles matches, McMurry's representatives – Martinez, Pope and Gough – all won their opening sets, before losing the final two sets of their respective matches.
