April 15. 2023 – Loras College men's tennis came just a few bounces away from doing something it had never done before on Saturday morning as the Duhawks pushed Central College to the limit in a narrow 5-4 defeat.
The Duhawks (10-6, 2-3 A-R-C) were playing their fourth match in as many days on Saturday while going up against a Dutch (9-9, 4-1 A-R-C) program that they have not beaten in now 17 tries after an evenly matched battle this time around.
All three doubles matches were decided by 8-6 scores to set the tone for multiple riveting singles matches at the Tucker Tennis Courts. Loras trailed 2-1 at the end of doubles as only the No. 2 duo of freshman
Gage Becker and senior
Konnor Barth came away with a win.
That duo kept things rolling into singles play as they both prevailed in three sets against their Dutch counterparts. At No. 3 singles, Becker started hot with three game wins in a row against Central's AJ Wilkins, but he dropped the next six to lose the opening set 6-3. The freshman was undeterred and rallied in the second to claim it 6-3 and force a third set, where he cruised to an important 6-1 victory to take the match.
Barth looked to be in cruise control early in his No. 4 singles match with Caleb Hamerlinck, but his 6-2 win in set one was followed by a close 7-6 (7-4) decision in favor of Central that forced yet another three-set match. Barth battled through a hobbled ankle to prevail 6-2 in the third set, leaving just two matches to be decided.
At ones, senior
Kevin Blomquist took the first set 6-2 against Central's Trey Melvin, but it was Melvin who captured the momentum in the second set with a 6-4 victory that led into a 6-1 decision in the third set that gave the longest singles match of the day to the Dutch.
After the decision at No. 1 singles, the match came down to No. 5 singles as Central's Ayden Fletcher got the better of Loras sophomore
Kareem Kassas with a 6-2, 6-2 victory to clinch the match.
Loras will get yet another chance to defend its home courts on Wednesday, April 19, against Luther College at 4 P.M.
