Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Loras Box Score
Illinois College Box Score
CLINTON, Iowa (Feb. 23, 2019) – Extending their win streak to seven to begin the spring season, the North Central College men's tennis team swept a pair of non-conference matches on Saturday inside River Cities Tennis Complex, scoring identical 8-1 victories over Loras College and Illinois College.
Beginning the day with doubles play against Loras (3-1),
Tyler Haizel and
Andy Hinch got the scoring started with a 8-1 victory over Riley Michel and Sean Baldwin at the No. 2 position.
Justin Howes and
Lucas Pindak then defeated Charlie Harris and Tommy Linkenheld, 8-4 at the No. 1 spot, before
Victor Krueger and
Marco Davila secured the doubles sweep with a 8-3 win over Kevin Blomquist and Konnor Barth.
Moving to singles play, Haizel increased the North Central lead 4-0 with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Michel at No. 3, before Loras secured a three-set win at No. 2 to temporarily hold off defeat.
The next match to finish was a three-set thriller at No. 4, as Hinch opened with a 6-2 win in the first set over Baldwin, before suffering a 6-4 loss in the second. Securing the match win for North Central with a win, Hinch eventually fought off Baldwin in a marathon 14-12 third-set tiebreaker.
With the match victory secure, Krueger added to the win total with a 7-6, 6-3 defeat of Harris at the No. 1 position, while Pindak and Davila were each victorious in straight sets at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
In the nightcap against Illinois College (1-2), the Cardinals once again jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, led off by a 8-1 victory for Kruger and Davila over Cameron Doerr and Connor McAndrew at No. 3.
At the No. 2 position, Haizel and Hinch took care of Michael Connolly and Jacob McQueen by a 8-3 final, before Howes and Pindak closed out doubles play with a 8-4 win over Miguel Vaca and Jonah Wheeland.
Needing just a pair of wins in singles play to clinch the match win, Davila inched the Cardinals closer with a decisive 6-0, 6-0 shutout of McAndrew at No. 6, before Hinch once again sealed the match victory in straight 6-2 sets over Doerr at No. 4.
Haizel followed with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Connolley at the No. 3 spot, before Illinois College avoided the sweep with a win at No. 1. The Cardinals wrapped up singles play with a pair of wins however, as Pindak scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 5 over McQueen while Howes finished off Wheeland, 7-6, 6-3 at No. 2.
North Central (7-1) returns to play on Friday, Mar. 2, taking on Concordia University Wisconsin at 6 p.m. inside Vaughan Tennis Center in Aurora, Illinois.
