KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown men's tennis hung in with conference unbeaten Millersville to the final point, but the Marauders had just enough to get past the Golden Bears, 4-3, in a critical PSAC match at the Keystone Courts Wednesday afternoon.
Needing a victory to improve its postseason prospects, Kutztown nearly got it. The hosts led 3-1, but couldn't flip one of the final three singles matches in their favor.
Millersville (6-6, 4-0 PSAC) had just five players available, which forced the Marauders to default at third doubles and sixth singles. Kutztown (7-8, 2-4 PSAC) took advantage in doubles, getting a 6-4 triumph from
Sebastian Arizpe (Puebla, Mexico/Colegio Humboldt de Puebla) and
Justin Gincauskas (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park Secondary) against Lino Morin and Jasper de Koning to elevate the Bears to a 1-0 lead going into singles.
The lead increased to 2-0 with the default at sixth singles and freshman
Joaquin Perez (Pachuca, Mexico/Escuela Americana) put the Maroon and Gold on the brink of taking the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Shaurya Piplani at No. 2.
Coach
Wyatt Pauley was proud of his team's fight and Kutztown had its chances to put the match away, it just didn't go their way on this day.
Neal Devkaran (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic) pushed Zach Pernia to extra games in their opening set at No. 3, but Pernia pulled the Marauders within a point on the strength of his 7-5, 6-1 win.
Freshman
Emmitt Robinson (Ingersoll, Ontario/Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute) rallied from a first set loss to win the second before falling two games short of defeating Morin, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4.
Jasper de Koning won it for Millersville with his 6-2, 6-0 straight set victory over Arizpe at No. 5.
Kutztown will try to bounce back against a pair of non-conference opponents this weekend. The Bears travel to West Virginia Weslyan for a match Friday at 3 p.m., before concluding the weekend at Fairmont State, Saturday, at 11 a.m.
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