BELTON, Texas – After falling into a 3-0 deficit, the Lewis & Clark College men's tennis team stormed back with four singles victories to secure a 4-3 season-opening non-conference win over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at the Yvonne Li Tennis Center on Friday afternoon.

THE BASICS

Lewis & Clark 4, Mary Hardin-Baylor 3
(Lewis & Clark 1-0)
(Mary Hardin-Baylor 0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Sophomores Noah Sutin and Joey Lyon earned crucial singles victories that shifted the momentum of Friday's dual and helped the Pioneers overcome an early deficit against the Crusaders. Junior Wade McDermott and first-year Arnav Bishnoi sealed the victory with decisive wins.

Mary Hardin-Baylor took control early by sweeping all three doubles matches to claim the lone doubles point. For the 2024-25 season, the ITA and NCAA are piloting a seven-point dual-match scoring format for Division III, in which the team that wins two of three doubles matches earns one overall point.

At second doubles, the Crusaders' Joaquim Fernandes and Marcus Diaz Tores topped Sutin and Lyon 6-4. Sam Rahm and Fernando Andrade secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over junior Spencer Loucks and senior Matt Chio at third doubles. In first doubles, Eli Sam and Nicolas Cusano defeated junior Kai Wills and McDermott 6-4 to complete the sweep.

After the Crusaders won at third and fourth singles, the Pioneers mounted their comeback. Sutin earned a hard-fought three-set victory at first singles, defeating Sam 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to put Lewis & Clark on the board.

Lyon followed with another three-set triumph at second singles, outlasting Diaz Tores 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3 to bring the Pioneers within 3-2.

McDermott dominated his fifth singles match with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Francisco Huerta, tying the dual and keeping Lewis & Clark's hopes alive.

The match came down to sixth singles, where Bishnoi clinched the team victory with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 win over Barret Scott.

Chio and Wills both played competitive matches at third and fourth singles. Chio fell to Fernandes 7-5, 7-6 (5) at No. 3, while Wills went three sets at No. 4 before falling to Andrade 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Bishnoi teamed up with senior Bennett Gazor, and sophomores Bridger Galyardt and Max Furman joined forces for exhibition doubles matches against the Crusaders. Both Pioneers' duos earned 6-4 wins.
• Dating back to last season, Sutin has won four straight singles matches in dual play.
• Bishnoi earned his first career dual win in his collegiate dual debut.  
• Lewis & Clark earned their first win in the state of Texas since a 5-4 victory over Southwestern on March 28, 2013.

 
WHO'S NEXT

The Pioneers continue their Texas road trip on Saturday with two matches in San Antonio. Lewis & Clark faces nationally-ranked #11 Trinity College at 8 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. CT, they then travel to St. Mary's University to take on Schreiner University at 1 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. CT.