Bears Keep Surging, Rally Past The Citadel

Monday, April 1

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

The Citadel

4/1/2024 6:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Citadel used a 7-4 tiebreaker on Court No. 1 to notch the doubles point and take an early advantage, but home-standing Mercer rattled off four wins in singles play, including Samuel MacLeod's hard-fought match-clincher at No. 5 singles to turn back the Bulldogs, 4-3, on Monday afternoon at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center.

It was the fifth win in the last six matches for the Bears (6-10, 3-1 SoCon) who used the result to keep pace in the race for the 2024 SoCon regular season crown. The Citadel (7-18, 1-4) has now dropped four of its last five matches, and was left still searching for the first win in the 11-match-old series with the Orange & Black.

The squads split a pair of quick matches on Court Nos. 2 and 3 in doubles competition, while action came down to the wire on Court No. 1. The Citadel's Hayden Shoemake and Sebastian Kamienicki fought off a pair of match-point opportunities by MU's Lucas Dini and Andrew Branicki in regulation before taking the doubles point-clincher with a 7-6 tiebreaker.

Mercer turned the table in singles play, however. Senior Victor Putter surrendered just two games in taking a straight-sets win at No. 6 singles, and junior Marceau Fouilhoux gave the hosts the lead for good on Court No. 3 minutes later when he finished off a straight-sets win over Kamienicki with a second-set tiebreaker.

Sophomore Nemanja Stefanovic put the Bears on the cusp of a team win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Shoemake at No. 1 singles, and MacLeod wrapped the win in Orange & Black nearly 25 minutes later by toughing out a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 triumph over The Citadel's Lucas Robins.

The Bears will close out their three-match home stand on Sunday when they welcome SoCon rival Chattanooga (8-2, 2-2) to the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center for a high noon matchup. Admission is free.