Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania men's tennis team was outdueled by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin' Engineers, 7-2 in a conference match on Saturday afternoon at Top Seed Tennis Club.

The Engineers improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play while the Pioneers dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference after Saturday's matchup.

Rose-Hulman fought its way to a 3-0 lead in doubles after grinding out tight wins in No. 1 and No. 2 doubles; Joseph Conrad and Hart Howard of the Engineers slipped past Arjun Gupta and Elijah Skaggs in an 8-5 match while Josh Giambattista and Rhian Seneviratne held off Nick and Noah McNamee 8-7 (7-4) in a razor-thin match that required a tiebreaker to decide a winner.

Gupta exacted payback in a grueling contest at No. 1 singles with the Pioneer storming back to earn a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Giambattista in the marquee matchup. Nick McNamee attempted a similar feat at No. 2 singles but came up short in the third and deciding set, falling 4-6, 6-4, 3-6 to Grant Stamper.

Noah McNamee went the distance as well and rolled in the third set, winning 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 against Conrad in No. 3 singles as the Pioneers showed off their veteran grit.

The Engineers, however, wrapped up the action with victories at No. 4, 5, and 6 singles to deny the Pioneers a potential singles-oriented win.

Transylvania next looks to bounce back against the Franklin College Grizzlies tomorrow, Sunday, April 18 at home. The dual match is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start from Top Seed Tennis Club.

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