Apr 24, 2009 GAMBIER, Ohio - The Allegheny men's tennis team fell 5-4 to Wittenberg in a North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal final at Kenyon.
The Tigers took an early advantage with two doubles wins to Allegheny's one. Matt Chiricosta and Ben Hurtuk claimed a point for the Gators, defeating Bobby Fisher and Andy Lamb at first doubles, 8-2.
At second doubles, Wittenberg's Derek de Rie and Brad Seymour were winners over Jake Allmaras and Ryan Zipf, 8-6, while at third doubles, the Tiger duo of Craig Lods and Andrew Young defeated Evan Gordon and Zack Kerosky, 8-5.
Four matches went to a third set in singles competition. Unfortunately for the Gators, Wittenberg won three of the four to clinch victory.
Gordon (pictured) had the Gators' only three-set win. He bested Fisher at second singles, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Kerosky and Allmaras added wins at third and fourth singles, respectively. Kerosky handled Lamb, 6-1, 6-1, and Allmaras beat Lods, 6-2, 6-3.
Seymour, de Rie and Young won singles matches for the Tigers. Seymour outlasted Chiricosta on the first tier, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4. In fifth singles, de Rie defeated Hurtuk, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3, while at sixth singles, Young handled Zipf, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
With the loss, Allegheny drops to the consolation round and will meet Ohio Wesleyan at 1 p.m. The Battling Bishops lost in the first round to Kenyon, 5-0. The Gators defeated OWU 6-3 on March 28.
