WHITTIER, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's tennis broke through on Saturday morning, earning its first SCIAC victory of the season with a 5-2 win on the road at Whittier.
The Kingsmen (4-10, 1-5 SCIAC) came out sharp in doubles play, securing the early point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
Mills Hall and
Toki Adachi set the tone with a 6-4 victory at the three spot, while
Ethan Sherwood and
Maxence Faniel matched that scoreline at No. 1. The No. 2 pairing of
Carlo Drewelow and
Raphael Simon battled in a tight contest but fell 7-6 (7-5).
Carrying momentum into singles, Cal Lu delivered its most complete performance of the conference slate. Simon dominated at No. 3 with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win, and Faniel followed with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 4.
Matthew Goldstein added another point at No. 6, closing out a 6-3, 7-5 decision to put the Kingsmen firmly in control. Adachi finished next at No. 2 with a resilient comeback effort, dropping the first set before rallying for a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win.
The Poets picked up points at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, but the Kingsmen's depth proved to be the difference as they secured the 5-2 result.
Cal Lutheran wraps up the regular season next Saturday, April 25, hosting Redlands at 11 a.m. for Senior Day.
