Box Score SUMTER, SC – Playing its second match of the day, 46th-ranked Francis Marion University saw its season come to an end with a 4-1 loss to 28th-ranked Belmont Abbey College in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Tournament on Friday (Apr. 26).
 
Francis Marion finishes the year with a 12-8 mark.  Earlier in the day, FMU had beaten Converse University 4-0.
 
Against the third-seeded Crusaders, FMU's No.2 doubles team of juniors Austin Vienna and Luis Lopez Sarasa claimed a 6-2 win to open the match.  However, Belmont Abbey registered a 6-3 win at No.3 doubles and a 6-4 victory at the top spot to earn the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.
 
A straight-sets win at No.4 singles upped the Crusaders' margin to 2-0.  Conference Player of the Year Martin Barbera drew FMU to within 2-1 with a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No.1 singles.  He ends the season with a 15-5 singles mark and stands 13th on the Patriot career singles wins list with a 43-17 record.
 
Belmont Abbey closed out the match with a straight-sets win at No.6 singles and a hard-fought 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at No.2 singles.
 
FMU was leading at No.5 singles and the No.3 singles match was even when they were stopped.
 
Two FMU seniors ended their careers with the loss: Leonel Gonzalez and Adam Ernberg.


Men's Tennis Match Results
4/26/2024 at Sumter, SC  (Palmetto Tennis Center)
#28 Belmont Abbey 4, #46 Francis Marion University 1
Singles competition
1. Martin Barbera (FMU) def. Chase Martin (BAC) 6-2, 6-0
2. Christian Winstead (BAC) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Nicholas Cary (BAC) vs. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) 3-6, 6-3, 2-2, unfinished
4. Tim Stemler (BAC) def. Ben Scott (FMU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Andres Golindano (BAC) vs. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 4-6, 5-2, unfinished
6. Kai Lloveras (BAC) def. Adam Ernberg (FMU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Chase Martin/Jackson Korta (BAC) def. Martin Barbera/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) 6-4
2. Luis Lopez Sarasa/Austin Vienna (FMU) def. Christian Winstead/Nicholas Cary (BAC) 6-2
3. Tim Stemler/Noelle Andrey Ampong (BAC) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans/Pedro Caro (FMU) 6-3
Match Notes:
Francis Marion University 12-8; National ranking #46
Belmont Abbey 22-18; National ranking #28
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,1,6,2)