NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Birmingham-Southern 7, Piedmont 2
Records: BSC, 2-1; Piedmont, 1-1

DEMOREST, Ga. - The Piedmont men's tennis team suffered its first loss of 2022, falling 7-2 to Birmingham-Southern in its home opener Saturday afternoon.

The Lions dropped all three doubles lines while the Panthers were able to take four of the six singles lines to clinch the win.

BSC began the afternoon with an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles before winning 8-4 at No. 3 and then 8-4 at No. 1 as well to head into singles play with a 3-0 lead and the momentum.

With the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches going on court first, the Panthers took all three in straight sets as Wilbur Dotson earned the clincher with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles.

After BSC won at No. 4 in straight sets to go up 7-0, the Lions showed fight at the bottom of the lineup.

PATRICK DEMPSEY fought back after dropping his first set 6-4 to take the second 6-3, forcing a 10-point superbreaker, in which he prevailed 10-5 over Reed Martinson.

Then, playing No. 5, senior CHRIS BALE cruised to a 6-2 first-set win over Tom Smith before battling in a hard-fought second set, eventually taking the tiebreaker 7-1.

Up next, the Lions will host Methodist next Saturday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- The bottom of the singles lineup stood out in the home opener, with CHRIS BALE and PATRICK DEMPSEY battling to put the Lions on the scoreboard.

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