ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 18, 2019) – The Franklin Pierce University men's tennis team opened a three-match trip to Florida with a 5-2 setback on Monday, as the Ravens saw a three-match winning streak halted on the road at Eckerd in non-conference play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 5-2, while Eckerd improves to 7-2.

Eckerd won two of the three doubles matches to open play and lay claim to the doubles point. Things were tight at both second and third doubles, with each side taking one of the two. At second doubles, the Franklin Pierce pair of freshman Preston Gordon (Essex Junction, Vt.) and junior Yuval Barak (Zicron Ya'akov, Israel) suffered a 6-4 defeat at the hands of Eckerd senior Alasdair Knox and freshman Prakrut Patel. Meanwhile, at third doubles, it was a 6-4 win for seniors James Bisazza (West Barnstable, Mass.) and Andrew Schadt (Tolland, Conn.) over freshman Sam Walker and sophomore Alejandro Vuconovic.

The Tritons would also take wins in each of the top four singles matches to finish off the 5-2 victory. Franklin Pierce claimed its two points at fifth and sixth singles, with a pair of straight-set victories. At fifth singles, it was a 6-3, 7-5 win for Barak over Walker. At sixth singles, Schadt defeated Vuconovic, 6-2, 6-3.

The match wound up swinging on a pair of three-set contests, both of which went to Eckerd. This included a wildly competitive first singles match, which went all the way to a third-set tiebreaker, before Knox pulled out a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (6) win over sophomore Roberto Chong (Puigpunyent, Spain). Things were nearly as tight at third singles, where sophomore Nkrumah Patrick (Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago) was edged out by Patel, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

The Ravens continue their Florida swing on Wednesday, March 20, when they travel to Webber International for a non-conference match at 10 a.m. in Babson Park, Fla. 

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce tennis apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).