WC Splits Singles Against Nationally-Ranked Team

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA -- Host Hampden-Sydney College, ranked 27th in Division III and ninth in the Atlantic South region, edged visiting Washington College, ranked 13th in the region, 5-4, in a non-conference men's tennis match this afternoon. The Tigers improved to 13-3 with the win, while the Shoremen slipped to 11-5 with the loss.

In doubles, William Moss and Rich Pugh, the region's ninth-ranked doubles team, downed WC senior Timothy Parks (Geneva, Switzerland/College du Leman) and freshman Josh Hedrick (Dover, DE/Dover), 8-2, at No. 1. Junior Adam Cranford (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) and sophomore Kevin Papen (Dover, DE/Caesar Rodney) got a win for the Shoremen at No. 2, downing Kevin Calhoun and Shad Harrell, 8-5. Tal Covington and Zack Pack won for the Tigers at No. 3, beating sophomore Aaron Ellison (Largo, FL/St. Petersburg) and sophomore John Menzione (Chadds Ford, PA/Kennett), 8-5, at No. 3.

Moss, the region's 10th-ranked singles player, beat Cranford, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 1, while Pugh beat Papen, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 2 and Calhoun beat Hedrick, 7-5, 6-4, at account for Hampden-Sydney's three singles wins. The Shoremen got a 1-6, 7-6(4), 10-7 win by Ellison over Harrell at No. 3, a 6-4, 6-2, win by sophomore Kyle Lisco (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) over Covington at No. 5, and a 6-2, 6-0, victory by Menzione over Pack at No. 6.

The Shoremen return to action Saturday with their regular season finale - a 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference home match against Dickinson.