BOX SCORE

The Saint Vincent College men's tennis team started its season with an exciting 5-4 win over Penn State Altoona.  The Bearcats, which lost four starters from last year's PAC runner up team, were boosted by its two returning veterans along with a host of newcomers.

The match started inauspiciously for Saint Vincent.  Vince Anto and Scott Reichard fell at #2 doubles while Patrick Hiles and Dalton Yezovich lost at 3rd doubles.  However, the #1 doubles team of returnees Sean Malone and Chris Andrejcik won 8-3, giving Penn State Altoona a 2-1 lead heading into singles play.
                 
Anto, a junior who had not played tennis competitively prior to this year, gave the Bearcats their first singles point by defeating Joe Settimio 6-4, 6-1.  
                 
Malone won easily at first singles, but freshmen Scott Reichard and Dalton Yezovich both lost their singles matches.  Saint Vincent trailed 4-3 with only two matches to be decided.
                 
At sixth singles, Patrick McGee, playing in his first college tennis match, split the first two sets against Tony Vergari.  Instead of a third set, the two played a 10-point tiebreaker.  Ten points weren't enough to decide a winner, as McGee prevailed 11-9 to even the match at 4-4.
                 
Andrejcik, playing second singles, needed to win his match to secure a Saint Vincent victory.  He lost the first set 6-3 and found himself behind 4-1 in the second set.  Then, Andrejcik stepped up his level of play and won 6 of the next 7 games to take the set 7-5 and force a match-set tiebreaker.  He used powerful forehands and great defense to capture the deciding tiebreak 10-5.
                 
Andrejcik's win clinched a 5-4 Bearcat victory, moving their record to 1-0 on the season.  Saint Vincent returns to action at 12 30pm on Wednesday at the Greensburg Racquet Club as it opens up PAC play against Waynesburg.