Men's Tennis Eases Past Saint Michael’s, 8-1


Sophomore Thomas Bellio won at No. 1 singles and doubles today.

Bellio and Lisichenok cruise to lead Skyhawks to fourth straight win

LAKEVILLE, Mass. (April 2, 2016) – Stonehill College maintained its perfect start in conference play with an 8-1 victory over Saint Michael's College in Northeast-10 Conference men's tennis action at the Lakeville Athletic Club this evening.

Sophomores Thomas Bellio (Saint Joseph, Michigan/Saint Joseph) and Nikolay Lisichenok (Danvers, Massachusetts/Danvers) paced Stonehill to its fourth straight win as double-winners at the top of the ladder. The duo combined for an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles as the Skyhawks took a 2-1 match lead following doubles play. Bellio followed that up by not dropping a single game in a straight sets victory at No. 1 singles against Saint Michael's junior Ben Lambert (Milford, New Hampshire/Milford). Lisichenok added a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles against senior Charlie Merry (Kennebunkport, Maine/Kennebunkport).

Sophomores Tom Buckley (Hebron, Connecticut/RHAM) and Jeffrey Gagnon (Providence, Rhode Island/Wheeler School) also picked up wins in singles and doubles play for Stonehill. They teamed up to clinch the 2-1 edge in doubles play for the Skyhawks with their 8-6 decision at No. 2. Buckley added a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles against junior Hayden Steward (Hamilton, Massachusetts/Pingree School), while Gagnon notched a 7-5, 6-2 decision at No. 5 against junior Patrick Dietz (Prospect, Connecticut/Woodland Regional).

Senior Gerard Tierney (Marshfield, Massachusetts/Marshfield) and junior Joan Castillo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/St. Joseph School) each chipped in with singles wins for Stonehill at No. 6 and No. 3, respectively. Saint Michael's point came from an 8-6 decision at No. 3 doubles by Merry and junior Forrest Owen (Northboro, Massachusetts/Saint John's).

Stonehill (7-4, 4-0 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Merrimack College, ranked fifth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional rankings, at 3:30 p.m. Saint Michael's (0-5, 0-3 NE-10) hosts Bentley University on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

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