PIKEVILLE, Ky. – With a pair of wins at the bottom of the singles order, the 20th-ranked University of Pikeville men's tennis team was able to hang on for a 5-4 win against Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday at Bob Amos Park.

The Bears are off to a hot start in league play with a 4-4 overall record and 2-0 mark in the Mid-South Conference. Cumberlands drops to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the MSC.

Pikeville got things going in its direction early with a 2-1 lead after doubles play. Only top-seeded Sven Rodenbusch and Dmitry Babenkov lost, being edged by Ariez Heshaam and Dan Fraser 9-7.

Pawel Tarasewicz and Marcos Sernandez Fondelius evened the score with an 8-5 win against Tyler Smith and Daryl MacLeish at No. 2 and Connor Smith and Francois Billet beat Eduardo Cabrera and Danilo Garcia 8-2 in the final doubles match.

The solid play in doubles was important as the Patriots earned wins at the top-two singles spots. Heshaam beat Sven Rodenbusch 6-3, 6-1 and Fraser bested Billet 7-6, 6-2 to give them a 3-2 lead in the match.

However, Cumberlands would win just one other match with Garcia topping Juan Manuel Reyes 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 4 seed.

The Bears finished off the win with wins by Babenkov at No. 3 6-4, 6-4 against Cabrerea, fifth-seeded Singer winning 6-1, 6-3 against Smith and Tarasewicz finished the win with a 6-0, 6-3 decision against Kenny Wilson at No. 6.

Pikeville is back on the courts on March 17-21 at the Hilton Head Springfest in Hilton Head, S.C.

 
UPIKE 5, Cumberlands (Ky.) 4

March 15, 2014 at Bob Amos Park (Pikeville, Ky.)

 
Singles
1. Ariez Heshaam (UC) def. Sven Rodenbusch (UPIKE) 6-3, 6-1
2. Dan Fraser (UC) def. Francois Billet (UPIKE) 7-6, 6-2
3. Dmitry Babenkov (UPIKE) def. Eduardo Cabrera (UC) 6-4, 6-4
4. Danilo Garcia (UC) def. Juan Manuel Reyes (UPIKE) 6-4, 6-2
5. Felix Singer (UPIKE) def. Tyler Smith (UC) 6-1, 6-3
6. Pawel Tarasewicz (UPIKE) def. Kenny Wilson (UC) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles
1. Heshaam/Fraser (UC) def. Sven Rodenbusch/Babenkov (UPIKE) 9-7
2. Tarasewicz/Marcos Sernandez Fondelius (UPIKE) def. Smith/Daryl MacLeish (UC) 8-5
3. Connor Smith/Billet (UPIKE) def. Cabrera/Garcia (UC) 8-2

 
Match Notes
Pikeville 4-4, 2-0 MSC; National Ranking: No. 20
Cumberlands 5-3, 1-1 MSC; National Ranking: RV