By Dylan Botelho, Staff Writer
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth men’s tennis team opened up its spring schedule Saturday February 24, falling to Wheaton College in a 9-0 final at the Beard Field house. That loss pushed the team to a low 0-4, with their first three loses coming in the fall against Stonehill, Eastern Nazarene, and Regis.
In their first four losses, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs were outscored 35-1 by their opponents. With a chance to get their first win against Salve Regina nearly a month later though, the Corsairs did not disappoint.
The men’s tennis team finally obtained their first win of the 2017-18 tennis season on Tuesday, barely beating Slave Regina on the road with a 5-4 score.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs started strong early in their meeting against the Salve Regina Seahawks, securing two victories during doubles as the two pairings of Patrick Pacheco and Eli Brooks along with Tristin Viale and Anthony Joseph, defeated their opponents 9-8, 8-4 in respective games. The two double wins secured the early momentum for the Corsairs heading into the remainder of the meeting between the two teams.
Salve Regina however bounced back in the final game of the doubles session, with the pair of Mark Desmond and Zach Pavao falling 8-2 to the Seahawk’s team of Will Chase and Trevor Jones.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs opened the singles competitions as they did the doubles, winning the opening game of the session. The Corsairs’ Patrick Pacheco defeated the Seahawk’s Will Masse 6-2, 6-4 to give the team their third point of the match. The two teams would split the first two matches of singles competition, after the Seahawk’s D.J. Bisaillon defeated Tristin Viale 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 1-0 (15-13).
With four games remaining and the Corsairs only up 3-2 against the Seahawks, the competition was still open for both teams. The Corsairs strung together a pair of victories thanks to Anthony Joseph and Eli Brooks who defeated Kevin Brocks and Trevor Jones of the Seahawks respectively.
With the two wins, the Corsairs secured their first team victory of the season. Salve Regina would close the meet with two back-to-back victories by Will Chasse and Aaron White, but it was too little too late as the Corsairs left Salve Regina with their first win of the season, 5-4.
The Corsairs victory marked their first win since May 4, 2017 when they faced off against Rhode Island College in the semifinal of the Little East Conference.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs return to action Tuesday, March 27 when it hosts Roger Williams for a 3:30 p.m. contest.