CLINTON, S.C. – Battling the reigning Big South champions at their home courts, the Longwood men's tennis team showed fight gaining a 3-1 advantage but couldn't close it out falling 4-3 to Presbyterian Friday afternoon.

In their first road conference match since early March, Longwood (9-8, 2-4 Big South) was able to overcome a 1-0 deficit after doubles play with three-straight singles wins by Amadeo Blasco, Julian Farthing and Daniel Hernandez for a 3-1 lead, but it was the home Blue Hose who closed the match on a 3-0 run for the 4-3 win.

In the loss, sophomore ace Blasco collected his program record 26th win of the season improving to 26-6 overall and 5-1 in the Big South – all five conference wins coming at the top of the rotation. Friday's singles decision also gave Blasco the program record for most matches played in a single season with 32, breaking the previous mark of 31 held by former great Nobu Tanaka.

Joining Blasco in the win column was Farthing and Hernandez, as the two picked up wins at courts four and six in the 3-0 singles-opening run.

Farthing, who improved his Big South record to 5-1 matching Blasco, reached another milestone securing his 20^th win of the season surpassing the 19 he collected his freshman season. Farthing's win secured at least two 20-win Lancers as the squad boasts four 15-match winners in Blasco, Farthing, Jorge Godoy and Valentin Popescu.

A freshman from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Hernandez collected his first Big South win as a Lancer with his 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 takedown of Alberto Conde at the sixth slot. Hernandez' win secured a win for each of the six Lancer starters this season lead by Farthing and Blasco's five wins at their respective courts.

After Longwood took the 3-1 lead, Presbyterian (6-12, 2-2 Big South) used three set wins at courts two and five sandwiched around a straight-set victory at three to close out the match, stealing a win from the road Lancers.

Presbyterian's Brandon Mills got the run started with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at court two before Alejandro Bejar took court three 7-5, 6-3 and Daniel Stenger capped the run with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory at five.

Longwood gets an opportunity to claim a Big South road win as they take on UNC Asheville and reigning Player of the Year Henry Patton Saturday morning. Match time between the Lancers and Bulldogs is set for 11 a.m.

Presbyterian 4, Longwood 3
March 30, 2018

Singles:
1. Blasco (LWU) def. Alexander Lykou (PC) 6-4, 6-2
2. Brandon Mills (PC) def. Popescu (LWU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Alejandro Bejart (PC) def. Raisei Sakai (LWU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Farthing (LWU) def. Jaime Castillo-Lopez (PC) 6-4, 6-4
5. Daniel Stenger (PC) def. Godoy (LWU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
6. Hernandez (LWU) def. Alberto Conde (PC) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2

Doubles:
1. Lykou/Mills (PC) def. Blasco/Sakai (LWU) 6-3
2. Castillo-Lopez/Bejar (PC) def. Godoy/Popescu (LWU) 7-6
3. Stenger/Baird (PC) def. Farthing/Lachlan Manser (LWU) 6-1

#GoWood