MIDLAND, Texas — It all came down to number six singles, and St. Mary's University freshman
Lincoln Baldonado delivered in a big way, getting a late break of serve in the third and deciding set to give the No. 47 Men's Tennis team a 4-3 win over No. 34 UT Permian Basin on Saturday afternoon.
Baldonado, a freshman from Glendale, Ariz., won the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4) before Lucas Nitzschke came storming back to win the second set 6-0. The two went back and forth in the final set when Baldonado won the final two games for the 7-5 win and the 4-3 victory.
"It is very difficult to win on the road in this conference," said Director of Tennis
Bill Macom. "Especially after being down after the doubles. However, we stayed very patient in the windy and cold conditions during our singles and were just a bit stronger mentally than our opponents."
St. Mary's moved to 8-6 on the year and 3-1 in Lone Star Conference play for the third time in school history. UTPB moves 7-4 overall and 2-1 in league action.
The Falcons scored the first point by winning doubles on courts one and three. Freshman
Lucas Castillo Sanchez (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) tied the score at 1-1 with his double bagel victory at line two, 6-0, 6-0.
No. 33 Jonathan Vega gave the lead right back to the Falcons with his 6-2, 6-2 win on court one, and senior
Alvaro Soler (Alicante, Spain) tied the score at 2-2 by winning 6-4, 6-0 at three singles.
Junior
Bernhard Hauer (Vienna, Austria) once again knotted the team score, this time at 3-3, with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win at line five, setting up the thrilling conclusion by Baldonado.
St. Mary's remains on the road, playing at No. 8 UT Tyler on Thursday, April 10 at 2 p.m. and at DBU on Saturday at 1 p.m.
