LONGVIEW, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' men's tennis team won a pair of 6-3 matches over East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau on opening day of the 2016 season in Marshall and Longview.
In the first match the Cowboys rallied from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to win five of six singles matches to take the match 6-3.
Andrew Eurek and
Alex Hunt teamed for an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles for HSU's only doubles win.
Hunt won his No. 2 singles match in straight sets and
Keenan Nash won at No. 6 by a 6-1, 6-0 score.
B.J. Farmakis,
Ben Gutierrez and
Michael Boyd all won three setters at No. 3, 4 and 5 singles. Hunt, Nash and Boyd are all freshmen playing in their first collegiate dual.
In the afternoon match, Hunt and Eurek won 8-5 at No. 1 doubles and
Frankie Sanchez and Farmakis teamed for an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles to give HSU a 2-1 lead heading into singles.
In singles play, Hunt won another straight set match at No. 2 and
Chandler Livingston won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. Gutierrez and Boyd each won tough three setters at No. 3 and No. 4 singles.
Griffin Weinkam and Nash each lost tough three setters with Weinkam losing 10-7 in the third set pro set and Nash falling 16-14.
HSU is 2-0 on the season and will play at Texas-Tyler on Sunday in a matchup of the ASC East and ASC West preseason favorites.
Hardin-Simmons 6, East Texas Baptist 3
Singles
1. Tyler Tolopka (ETBU) def. Griffin Weinkam, 6-1, 6-2
2. Alex Hunt (HSU) def. Connor Mason, 6-2, 6-3
3. B.J. Farmakis (HSU) def. Cody Highsmith, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Ben Gutierrez (HSU) def. Ryan Pearce, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
5. Michael Boyd (HSU) def. Dillion Deathrage, 7-5, 2-6, 10-3
6. Kennan Nash (HSU) def. Reid Adams, 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Andrew Eurek/Hunt (HSU) def. Tolopka/Pearce, 8-5
2. Mason/Highsmith (ETBU) def. Chandler Livingston/Nash, 8-3
3. Deathrage/Rollin Houk (ETBU) def. Frankie Sanchez/Farmakis, 9-7
Hardin-Simmons 6, LeTourneau 3
Singles competition
1. Michael McLaughlin (LETU) def. Griffin Weinkam, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)
2. Hunt (HSU) def. Morgan Weaver, 6-3, 6-1
3. Gutierrez (HSU) def. Tyler Grove, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)
4. Boyd (HSU) def. Robby Bundy, 6-0, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
5. Caleb Epps (LETU) def. Nash, 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (16-14)
6. Livingston (HSU) def. Kevin Warren, 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Eurek/Hunt (HSU) def. McLaughlin/Weaver, 8-5
2. Grove/Epps (LETU) def. Nash/Livingston, 8-3
3. Sanchez/Farmakis (HSU) def. Bundy/Curtis Martin, 8-2
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