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Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s tennis team opened the spring schedule with a solid performance on the opening day of the UMHB Spring Classic Friday at the Yvonne Li Tennis Center in Belton. The Cru will send five singles players into the finals tomorrow and the UMHB men went 3-0 in doubles play.
In flight one men’s singles, UMHB’s Ramon Aguirre advanced to Saturday’s championship match. Aguirre opened with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Dart Bebel of Southwestern University. He then topped Kuda Sengai of Our Lady of the Lake 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals. Aguirre will face Santiago Padilla of Our Lady of the Lake in the championship. UMHB’s Josh Pownall opened with a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Padilla and then fell to Southwestern University’s Alex Lam 6-3, 6-0 in the second round. Pownall will face Southwestern’s Alexander Reinsch tomorrow.
In flight two men’s singles, it will be an all UMHB final. The Cru’s Garrett Pekar opened with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Andrew Olsson of Southwestern University. Pekar then beat Christon Salinas of OLLU 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the championship match. Pekar will face teammate Will Summers for the title. Summers opened with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Joey Olivas of OLLU and followed that up with a semifinal win over Southwestern University’s Andy Clarage 6-0, 6-3.
In flight three men’s singles, UMHB’s Daniel White and Alex Graham will play for the championship tomorrow. White opened the day with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Michael Ramirez of OLLU and then topped OLLU’s Jessie Rojas 6-4, 6-1. Graham started play with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ernesto Silva of OLLU and then beat Southwestern’s Nate Roberts 6-4, 6-3.
In flight one men’s doubles, the team of Pownall and White topped Padilla and Sengai of OLLU 8-2. UMHB’s Graham and Aguirre teamed up for an 8-4 win over Olivas and Carlos Albuja of OLLU.
In flight two men’s doubles, Summers and Pekar beat Corbett Austin and Riley Bunnell of Southwestern University 8-1 today.
The tournament will wrap up tomorrow with one round of singles and two rounds of doubles. Play will begin at 9:00 AM at the Yvonne Li Tennis Center.