Tigers Win Crucial Doubles Point and Four Singles Matches to Beat Tuskegee, 5-2
Tuskegee, AL—The Tigers of Marion Military Institute held off the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University on Sunday afternoon at the Pepsico Tennis Courts in the doubles portion of the match and secured the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches. MMI's No. 1 doubles pair fell quickly, putting the Tigers in a bit of a hole. MMI's No. 3 doubles team of Dom Ingram and Drake DelValle pulled the Tigers even with the Golden Tigers with their 8-3 win. The doubles point boiled down to No. 2 doubles, which was a back-and-forth affair from the opening serve. MMI's Preston Smith and Emmanuel Warner knotted the score at seven-all to force the super tiebreaker. Smith and Warner then delivered the knockout blow with strong serves and returns down the stretch to claim the last five points of the tiebreaker, winning it 10-6, their match, 8-7, and the team's doubles point.
With the doubles point in hand, the Tigers blasted through four of their singles matches, winning at No. 1 singles (6-2, 6-2), No. 2 singles (6-0, 6-1), No. 4 singles (6-1, 6-1), and No. 5 singles (6-4, 6-0). Dom Ingram played a nice match at No. 3 singles before bowing out, 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, and Emmanuel Warner blanked his opponent, 8-0, in an exhibition singles match.
MMI 5, Tuskegee University 2
Doubles Competition
1. Cole/Newbold-Hudson (TU) def. Tanjuatco/Hunter (MMI) 8-1
2. Smith/Emmanuel Warner (MMI) def. Josiah Biocus/Mitchell (TU) 8-7 (10-6)
3. Ingram/DelValle (MMI) def. Allen/Josue Biocus (TU) 8-3
Singles Competition
1. Joseph Tanjuatco (MMI) def. Jabari Cole (TU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Eddie Hunter (MMI) def. Teryon Newbold-Hudson (TU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Josiah Biocus (TU) def. Dom Ingram (MMI) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Preston Smith (MMI) def. Tyler Mitchell (TU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Carson Johnson (MMI) def. Lander Allen (TU) 6-4, 6-0
6. Josue Biocus (TU) def. Drake DelValle (MMI) 6-4, 6-1
Next Up: The MMI men's tennis team hosts Wallace State Community College-Hanceville on Friday, February 12. First serves are slated to fly at 1:00 p.m.