Men's Tennis | 4/30/2022 5:32:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY -- Visiting Houghton won three of the six singles matches, including the deciding match at fourth singles Saturday, to edge Nazareth in an Empire 8 men's tennis match, 5-4, on Annette Shapiro Courts. Houghton clinched the 2022 Empire 8 Regular Season Championship with the win and will be the top seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Championship, set for May 6-7.
In the deciding match at fourth singles, Houghton's Matthew Cicero rallied from a first-set deficit to defeat Nazareth's William Britton 6-4, 6-3.
It was the Highlanders' second win over the Golden Flyers this season as they finished the regular season unbeaten in E8 matches at 8-0. Nazareth dropped to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in the Empire 8.
Nathan Allen had a big day for Nazareth with victories at first singles and first doubles. He avenged an earlier defeat to Houghton's Micah Schilke with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at first singles. At first doubles, Allen and Britton combined to secure an 8-4 win.
After falling behind 2-1 in doubles play, Nazareth got singles wins over Allen, Dominic Vito and Isiah McMurray to tie the match at 4-4. Vito won 6-3, 6-3 at second singles and McMurray triumphed 6-3, 6-4 at fifth singles. Collin Bennett dropped a close 6-4, 7-5 decision at sixth singles to set up the deciding match at fourth singles.