Cranford Wis Sixth Straight Singles Match in Shoremen's Season Finale
EWING, NJ -- The College of New Jersey posted a 6-3 win over visiting Washington College this afternoon in Ewing, NJ. The Lions improved to 8-4 with the win, while the Shoremen finish their season at 9-9. Both teams were ranked 13th in their respective regions - TCNJ in the Northeast and Washington in the Atlantic South.
Washington senior Adam Cranford (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) picked up his sixth consecutive singles win with a 6-1, 6-2, victory over Jeremy Eckardt at No. 1. Cranford was ranked 19th in the most recent Atlantic South region singles rankings, while Eckardt was ranked 22nd in the most recent Northeast rankings. The victory was Cranford's fifth this spring over an opponent who entered the match regionally-ranked. He went 15-3 at No. 1 this spring, with two of his three losses coming against regionally-ranked opponents.
Cranford also won at No. 1 doubles as he and junior Kevin Papen (Dover, DE/Caesar Rodney) were 8-3 winners over Jeremy Eckardt and TJ Riley, the Northeast's 11th-ranked doubles team. Cranford and Papen went 6-0 in doubles this spring. Papen was also a winner at No. 2 singles with a 6-4, 6-4, win over Steven Fernandez.
TCNJ won at No. 2 doubles as Steven Fernandez and Dean Thompson defeated junior John Menzione (Chadds Ford, PA/Kennett) and freshman Willie Dashiell (Norfolk, VA/Norfolk Collegiate), 8-1, and at No. 3 doubles as Jonathan Yu and Stewart Fernandez downed junior Aaron Ellison (Largo, FL/St. Petersburg) and junior Kyle Lisco (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North), 8-6.
In singles for the Lions, Yu was a 6-0, 6-1, winner over Lisco at No. 3, Riley topped Ellison, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 4, Jordan Cruz defeated freshman Joel Novick (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township), 6-3, 7-5, at No. 5, and Daniel Lee beat Menzione, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 6.
