PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – The University of Pikeville men's tennis team handed Shawnee State its first loss of the season and improved its winning streak to seven straight matches with an 8-1 win on Thursday in both teams' Mid-South Conference opener.

UPIKE cruised to wins in the first two doubles matches with 8-0 scores before Kenton Hall and Oscar Pacheco held off Ben Bercheck and Tyler Sherwood 9-7 at the No. 3 seed to complete the doubles sweep.

Needing just two wins in singles to clinch the victory, those came in a hurry as well as Pedro Azevedo, Juan Reyes and Nicolas Rodenbusch all won by scores of 6-0, 6-0.

UPIKE's lone loss of the day came in a fifth-seeded match that went past regulation and forced a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the final set. C.J. Burk ended up with the win as he outlasted Hall 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9).

The Bears return to action at Noon ET on Saturday, hosting Charleston at the Bob Amos Complex.

UPIKE 8, Shawnee State 1

Singles

1. Eric Bernabeu (UPIKE) def. Nicholas Johnson (SSU) 6-1, 6-1

2. Pedro Azevedo (UPIKE) def. Matthew Bryant (SSU) 6-0, 6-0

3. Juan Reyes (UPIKE) def. Rodney Spriggs (SSU) 6-0, 6-0

4. Nicolas Rodenbusch (UPIKE) def. Zach Colley (SSU) 6-0, 6-0

5. C.J. Burk (SSU) def. Kenton Hall (UPIKE) 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)

6. Oscar Pacheco (UPIKE) def. Tyler Sherwood (SSU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

1. Pedro Azevedo/Eric Bernabeu (UPIKE) def. Nicholas Johnson/Zach Colley (SSU) 8-0

2. Juan Reyes/Nicolas Rodenbusch (UPIKE) def. Matthew Bryant/Rodney Spriggs (SSU) 8-0

3. Kenton Hall/Oscar Pacheco (UPIKE) def. Ben Bercheck/Tyler Sherwood (SSU) 9-7

Match Notes:

UPIKE: 7-2, 1-0 MSC

Shawnee State: 2-1, 0-1 MSC

-UPIKE-