FLORENCE, SC – For the second consecutive day, a first-year player – this time Ben Scott – registered a come-from-behind singles win for the clinching point as Francis Marion University upset 21st-ranked Edinboro University, Friday evening (March 8) in non-conference men's tennis play.
 
Francis Marion ups its record to 5-3.  The Patriots will play host to NCAA Division I South Carolina State University on Sunday at 2 p.m.  Admission to the Kassab Courts is free.
 
After Edinboro (7-3) claimed a quick 6-0 win at No.3 doubles, the Patriots grabbed victories at No.1 and No.2 to earn the doubles point and a 1-0 advantage.  Junior Martin Barbera and senior Leonel Gonzalez, ranked 44th nationally, were victorious 6-4 at the top spot, while juniors Luis Lopez Sarasa and Austin Vienna, ranked 39th nationally, earned a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4) win at No.2.
 
Barbera and Gonzalez are 7-1 in doubles play this year, while Lopez Sarasa and Vienna are 5-2.
The Fighting Scots knotted the match at 1-1 with a straight-sets win at No.5 singles. Barbera (6-1, 6-4) and Gonzalez (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) notched wins at No.1 and No.2 singles to give Francis Marion a 3-1 margin.  However, Edinboro won in three sets at No.3 to narrow the deficit to 3-2.
 
After Scott lost the first set 6-3, he fought off a match point in a second-set tiebreaker before winning 7-6 (9-7) and won 6-4 in the third set to provide the Patriots with a fourth point.
 
Edinboro was up a set at No.6 singles when the final result was clinched and play was stopped.
 
For Gonzalez, it was his 30th career singles win and 73rd combined (singles and doubles) victory as a Patriot.

 
03/08/2024 at Florence, SC (Kassab Courts)
Francis Marion University 4, #21 Edinboro University 2
Singles competition
1. Martin Barbera (FMU) def. Bruno Sabio (BORO-M) 6-1, 6-4
2. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Gordon Mileusnic (BORO-M) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Stanislas Noel (BORO-M) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
4. Ben Scott (FMU) def. Thibault Dorval (BORO-M) 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4
5. Thomas Buchard (BORO-M) def. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 6-4, 6-0
6. Alexander Mirkov (FMU) vs. Gustavo Martins (BORO-M) 4-6, 4-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #44 Martin Barbera/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Gordon Mileusnic/Fabricio Pons (BORO-M) 6-4
2. #39 Luis Lopez Sarasa/Austin Vienna (FMU) def. Bruno Sabio/Rocco Palombarini (BORO-M) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Stanislas Noel/Thibault Dorval (BORO-M) def. Pedro Caro/Alexander Mirkov (FMU) 6-0
 
Match Notes:  Edinboro University 7-3; National ranking #21
Francis Marion University 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,1,2,3,4) T-5:25