Third Time Not a Charm for Men’s Tennis Team

Tuscaloosa, AL—The third time is supposedly a charm, but that's not how it played out in the third match of a three-game series between the Marion Military Institute Tigers and the Stillman College Tigers.  After defeating Stillman College in the first two matches, the Marion Military Institute Tigers were routed by Stillman College, 7-2, in Tuesday's third and final matchup of the fall season.

MMI salvaged one doubles match when Kaiser De Leon and Javier de Claire bounced Nick Hernandez and Fernando Garcia, 8-5, thus avenging an earlier loss to the Stillman duo,  and one singles match when Marty Birchmeier saved a handful of match points to down Edward Symmonett, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 10-4.

In the remaining doubles matches, MMI's No. 1 doubles team of Morgan Hale and Andrew Wright lost to Jangeon Lee and Yonwaba Pupumba, 8-6, and Stillman's Jose Pojasi and Edward Symmonett lowered the boom on MMI's No. 3 tandem of Marty Birchmeier and Ben Jandzinski, 8-3.

In singles play, all five of the top six matches went Stillman's way, with Stillman taking four of the five tiebreakers or super tiebreakers played.  At No. 1 singles, De Leon put up quite a fight before succumbing to Lee, 6-3, 6-3.  Hernandez beat Morgan Hale at No. 2 singles, 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.  Andrew Wright lost in straight sets at No. 3 singles, 7-6 (5), 6-3, as did Javier de Claire at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 7-6 (6).  Jose Pojasi won in a squeaker over Patrick Ryder, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 10-5, at No. 4 singles.

The Tigers travel to Meridian, MS, this Thursday, September 25 to play in the 2014 USTA/ITA Southern JUCO Small College Regional Championship.  Play will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and finish on Saturday.