Men's Tennis Edged by Johnson & Wales, 5-4

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting Johnson & Wales University men's tennis team earned a 5-4 victory over Bridgewater State University in a non-conference match on Thursday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

The Wildcats improve to 9-4 on the season, while the host Bears fall to 2-5.

Johnson & Wales captured two of the three doubles matches, while the two teams split the six singles flights.

Juniors Alexander Rohana (Providence, R.I.) and Franz Fonck (Santo Domingo, D.R.) posted an 8-5 decision at first doubles for the Wildcats who also received an 8-2 win from freshman Will Lyons (Marlton, N.J.) and sophomore Gianni Rodrigues (Milton, Mass.) at the second flight.

Junior Joshua Bean (Kingston, Mass.) and freshman Kendan DeBlois (Hadley, N.Y.) notched the Bears' lone doubles point with an 8-1 triumph at number three.

DeBlois wrapped up his number five singles match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, and BSU senior Alexander Belinsky (Norton, Mass.) followed with a 6-2, 6-3 straight set win at six to give Bridgewater State a 3-2 lead. DeBlois remains unbeaten in singles play on the season for the Bears as he improved his win-loss record to 7-0.

Freshman Steven Heizler (Lawrenceville, Ga.) posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory at fourth singles and Rodrigues put the Wildcats back on top, 4-3, with a 6-3, 6-0 win at number three.

BSU sophomore William Jones (Wrexham, U.K.) evened the score at 4-4 with a 6-2, 6-3 decision at the second flight.

Lyons picked up the deciding fifth point for Johnson & Wales with a tough 6-4, 6-4 straight set triumph in the battle of the top-flight singles players.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday afternoon. The Bears travel to UMass Dartmouth for a noontime Little East Conference (LEC) match with the Corsairs, while the Wildcats entertain Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rival Eastern Nazarene College at 3:30.