HARROGATE, Tenn. – After picking up back-to-back 5-4 wins over Lenoir-Rhyne and Coker earlier this week, the Railsplitters (3-5, 2-3 SAC) were handed a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the second-place Anderson Trojans (10-2, 7-1 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday at the LMU Tennis Complex
 
The Trojans played their way to a 2-1 advantage through doubles action as Lincoln Memorial's top tandem of Joshua Coulthard (Staindrop, England) and Will Sparks (Knoxville, Tenn.) fell 8-6 to Juan Carracedo and Mateo Rivas at the No. 1 flight. The Railsplitters' second flight of Pepe Batalla (Barcelona, Spain) and Joshua Peress (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) evened the match at 1-1 with an 8-6 defeat over Nicolas Ascarrunz and Harrison Kansol, but Stefan Hall (Stratford, PEI) and Carlos Zunino (Samborondon, Ecuador) suffered an 8-2 setback at No. 3 doubles.
 
Coulthard snapped a six-match losing skid, picked up his first collegiate singles victory and drew the match even at 2-2 with a 7-5, 6-2 win at the top flight against Carracedo, but Sparks would give the point right back to the Trojans by falling 7-6, 6-3 in the second flight.
 
The Railsplitters rolled off two wins at No. 3 and No.4 singles, as Batalla claimed a three-set win (4-6, 7-6, 6-4) in the third flight and Peress nabbed a 7-6, 6-1 win at the fourth flight. Anderson would claim the points at No. 5 and No. 6, though, to hold on for the narrow 5-4 win. Hall was only able to take one game off of Inaki Iriberry in a 6-1, 6-0 loss in the fifth flight, while Zunino dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 6 to Harrison Kansol. 
 
The Railsplitters hit the road on Monday for a South Atlantic Conference battle against the Brevard Tornados, with doubles action slated to get underway at 2 p.m.

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Anderson 5, Lincoln Memorial 4
Mar 21, 2015 at Harrogate, TN (LMU Tennis Complex)

Singles competition 1. Joshua Coulthard (LMU) def. Juan Carracedo (AU-M) 7-5, 6-2

2. Nicolas Ascarrunz (AU-M) def. Will Sparks (LMU) 7-6, 6-3

3. Pepe Batalla (LMU) def. Mateo Rivas (AU-M) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4

4. Joshua Peress (LMU) def. Paul Michael Calhoun (AU-M) 7-6, 6-1

5. Inaki Iriberry (AU-M) def. Stefan Hall (LMU) 6-1, 6-0

6. Harrison Kansol (AU-M) def. Carlos Zunino (LMU) 6-2, 6-2

 

Doubles competition 1. Juan Carracedo/Mateo Rivas (AU-M) def. Joshua Coulthard/Will Sparks (LMU) 8-6

2. Pepe Batalla/Joshua Peress (LMU) def. Nicolas Ascarrunz/Harrison Kansol (AU-M) 8-6

3. Paul Michael Calhoun/Inaki Iriberry (AU-M) def. Stefan Hall/Carlos Zunino (LMU) 8-2

 

Match Notes Anderson 10-2, 7-1 SAC

Lincoln Memorial 3-5, 2-3 SAC