NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Covenant 5, Piedmont 4
Records: Covenant, 9-4; Piedmont, 5-10

DEMOREST, Ga. - The Piedmont men's tennis team battled but ultimately fell in a 5-4 heartbreaker to Covenant on Wednesday afternoon in Demorest.

With the teams having already competed in conference play, this match, which spanned over four hours in length, was played as a nonconference contest.

After the Scots took two out of three in doubles, Piedmont fought back into the match to knot the score at 4-4, but Covenant was able to eke out a win at No. 4 singles to clinch the season sweep.

The Scots jumped out to the early lead by taking two out of the three doubles matches. However, after Covenant prevailed, 8-3, at both No. 1 and No. 2, Piedmont's No. 3 doubles team of CHRIS BALE and PATRICK DEMPSEY battled back from down a break at 6-5 to win 8-6 and put the Lions' first point on the board.

The Lions quickly were able to tie the match at 2-2 after SILAS SANDLES delivered a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 5 before the Scots responded with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1 to jump back in front.

The momentum began to shift Piedmont's way at No. 2 singles as BRYCE VANORDER joined Sandles as freshmen delivering singles victories. VanOrder outlasted Austin Dreslinski, 6-3, 6-4, to pull things even once again.

Unfortunately, Dempsey was forced to retire at No. 6 singles meaning the Lions needed both matches at No. 3 and No. 4 to overtake the Scots.

After battling through a hard-fought doubles match earlier in the day, Bale won two closely contested (7-5, 7-6 (3)) sets at No. 3, clinching the match on a long rally to even things up for the third time with one match left on the court.

Senior and reigning USA South Player of the Week CHASE MORRIS was locked in an epic battle at No. 4 with Covenant's Solomon Crouch, taking the first set, 6-4, before dropping the second by the same margin. The third set stretched into the twilight as the pair continued to go back-and-forth. However, Crouch ultimately survived a few scares and took the last four games of the match to win the third set, 7-5, and lift the Scots over the top.

Up next, the Lions will battle Berea in conferene play this Saturday, April 10 at 9:30 a.m. With possible inclement weather in the forecast, the match has been moved to the Rome Indoor Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.

TURNING POINT:
- In a match that unfortunately someone had to lose, it was Covenant's Solomon Crouch that emerged victorious to give the Scots the 5-4 win.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- CHRIS BALE battled back to help the Lions salvage a doubles point before outlasting Covenant's Ethan Gibson, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to even the match at 4-all.

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