HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Railsplitters (5-4, 4-2 SAC) burst out to an early 3-0 advantage and cruised to the finish line, picking up their second consecutive South Atlantic Conference victory with a 6-3 win over the Catawba Indians (11-8, 2-5 SAC) on Wednesday at the LMU Tennis Complex.
 
Joshua Coulthard (Staindrop, England) and Will Sparks (Knoxville, Tenn.) set the tone for doubles play with an 8-4 win over Pierce Hoover and Jack Mordey at the top tandem flight. Pepe Batalla (Barcelona, Spain) and Joshua Peress (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) followed in kind with an 8-6 win over Lucas Miller and Mitchell McDonald in the second flight, improving to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in SAC play, while Stefan Hall (Stratford, PEI) and Carlos Zunino (Samborondon, Ecuador) finished off the doubles sweep with an 8-4 win over Iago Montero Nunez and Michael Patch in the third flight.
 
The Indians won back some of the momentum in the first two singles flights, as Coulthard retired after falling behind Hoover 6-3, 4-1 in the first flight, while Mordey rolled through Sparks 6-1, 6-1 in the second flight.
 
Batalla and Peress iced the victory at the No. 3 and No. 4 flights, though. Batalla cruised in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Miller, while Peress extended his winning streak to five matches with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Patch.
 
Hall dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision to McDonald in the fifth flight, but Zunino earned his second straight win by overcoming Nunez 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 in the sixth flight.
 
With more than half of the South Atlantic Conference schedule done, the Railsplitters are in sole possession of fourth place in the league standings with a 4-2 mark. Lincoln Memorial has won four of its last five matches.
 
The Railsplitters return to action next Wednesday to host the Mars Hill Lions for a SAC battle, with doubles action set to get underway at 1 p.m. at the LMU Tennis Complex.

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Lincoln Memorial 6, Catawba 3
Mar 25, 2015 at Harrogate, TN (LMU Tennis Complex)
 

Singles competition

1. Pierce Hoover (CAT) def. Joshua Coulthard (LMU) 6-3, 4-1, retired

2. Jack Mordey (CAT) def. Will Sparks (LMU) 6-1, 6-1

3. Pepe Batalla (LMU) def. Lucas Miller (CAT) 6-3, 6-2

4. Joshua Peress (LMU) def. Michael Patch (CAT) 6-3, 6-2

5. Mitchell McDonald (CAT) def. Stefan Hall (LMU) 6-1, 6-3

6. Carlos Zunino (LMU) def. Iago Montero Nunez (CAT) 6-4, 4-6, 10-7

 

Doubles competition

1. Joshua Coulthard/Will Sparks (LMU) def. Pierce Hoover/Jack Mordey (CAT) 8-4

2. Pepe Batalla/Joshua Peress (LMU) def. Lucas Miller/Mitchell McDonald (CAT) 8-6

3. Stefan Hall/Carlos Zunino (LMU) def. Iago Montero Nunez/Michael Patch (CAT) 8-4

 

Match Notes

Catawba 11-8, 2-5 SAC

Lincoln Memorial 5-4, 4-2 SAC