Ramapo Edges Endicott in Spring Break Opener, 5-4

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The Endicott men's tennis team lost to Ramapo College, 5-4, on Sunday morning to kick off the PTR Spring Tennis Fest at the Chaplin Park Tennis Center. Ramapo produced a 2-1 advantage from doubles (No. 1, No. 2), and won three straight singles flights (No. 3, No. 4, No. 5) to lock up its first victory of the spring break tournament.                                                                                                     

Christos Papadopoulos (Weymouth, Mass.) and Ozan Cermik (Cumberland, R.I.) won their doubles matchup at the No. 3 flight by a score of 8-5. 

In singles play, three Gulls won their respective matches (No. 1, No. 2, No. 6), but it wasn't enough to push Endicott past Ramapo. Daniel Rinkert (Ben Lomond, Calif.) and Anthony Rinaldi (Attleboro Falls, Mass.) both played gritty matches that went to three sets, but ultimately fell to the Roadrunners with respective scores of 7-5, 1-6, 11-9 and 6-4, 2-6, 10-5.

TOP QUOTE 

Endicott men's tennis head coach Jeremy Howard on the match: "Really hard fought match against a solid Ramapo team. Ultimately, we came up a little short in a couple of third set breakers and that was the difference."

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE 

• This is the first time Papadopoulos and Cermik have been paired together in doubles and their first win.
• McCleary secured his first singles victory of the season with his win today.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (2-3) has an off day on Monday before returning to the courts to take on Berry College on Tuesday, March 13 at 3 PM. Ramapo (5-1) faces Nazareth College tomorrow, Monday, March 12 at 3:45 PM in Hilton Head. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)