Freshman Thomas Alaimo posted wins at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles to lead the Skyhawks this evening. |
Penmen use 2-1 edge after doubles play to spur key NE-10 win
EASTON, Mass. (April 5, 2012) – Southern New Hampshire University, ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, held off a strong charge from eighth-ranked Stonehill College in singles play to claim a 5-4 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's tennis action at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this evening.
Sophomore Juan Arango-Campo (Armenia Quindio, Columbia) and freshman Mike Wallace (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Salesian) led Southern New Hampshire to its fifth straight win to remain unbeaten in NE-10 play as double-winners. After the Penmen had won two of three doubles matches, four of the six singles matches needed three sets to decide a winner and freshman Brad Malenich (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) clinched the win with his 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 triumph over Stonehill freshman Jared Drzal (West Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) at No. 6.
Arango-Campo and sophomore Alex Mukdaprakorn (Hartford, Conn./Rocky Hill), the sixth-ranked doubles team in the East Region, combined for an 8-6 win at No. 1 doubles. Arango-Campo then posted a 7-5, 6-2 win over Stonehill sophomore Nick Hyzak (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) at No. 2 singles. Wallace teamed up with junior Mitch Dobek (Westfield, Mass./Saint Mary) for an 8-5 win at No. 5 doubles and then posted a 6-1, 6-3 win over Stonehill senior Aaron Bergeron (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) at No. 4 singles.
Sophomore Brett Armstrong (Manville, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) and freshman Thomas Alaimo (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) were double-winners to lead the way for Stonehill. The duo picked up the Skyhawks doubles win with an 8-3 victory at No. 3 and then grinded out three set wins in singles play. Alaimo rallied from a 6-0 first set loss against Mukdaprakorn to win the second and third, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to pick up a point at No. 3 singles. Armstrong defeated junior Jared Wright (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) 6-5, 4-6, 11-9 at No. 5.
The match of the night saw freshman Eric Ringstad (Fairbanks, Alaska/Monroe Catholic) rally from a set down to win both the second and third sets by tiebreaker to pull out a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) victory over Dobek, the reigning NE-10 Player of the Year and 17th-ranked singles player in the region, at No. 1 singles.
Stonehill (11-3, 5-2 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Le Moyne College for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at 11 a.m. The Skyhawks return home next Wednesday to host Adelphi University at Charles Watt Tennis Courts at 2 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (9-6, 8-0 NE-10) visits Merrimack College on Saturday at noon.
Southern New Hampshire 5, Stonehill 4
Singles
1. Eric Ringstad (STO) def. Mitch Dobek (SNH) 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3)
2. Juan Arango-Campo (SNH) def. Nick Hyzak (STO) 7-5, 6-2
3. Thomas Alaimo (STO) def. Alex Mukdaprakorn (SNH) 0-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
4. Mike Wallace (SNH) def. Aaron Bergeron (STO) 6-1, 6-3
5. Brett Armstrong (STO) def. Jared Wright (SNH) 6-4, 4-6, 11-9
6. Brad Malenich (SNH) def. Jared Drzal (STO) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
Doubles
1. Arango-Campo/Mukdaprakorn (SNH) def. Ringstad/Hyzak (STO) 8-6
2. Dobek/Wallace (SNH) def. Bergeron/Jonathan Sanders (STO) 8-5
3. Alaimo/Armstrong (STO) def. John Niland/Tim Hamilton (SNH) 8-3
* - doubles matches played first