Azusa, Calif. – The 27^th-ranked Skidmore College men's tennis team began action out in California, dropping its first match of the season against No. 9 Amherst by a 7-2 score, at the Munson and Bavougian Tennis Complex on the campus of Azusa Pacific University Sunday afternoon.

Skidmore drops to 5-1 on the season, and will head further west to take on California Lutheran in Thousand Oaks on Monday at 1 p.m. local time.  Amherst (1-0) wins its season opener and will face No. 12 Carnegie Mellon in nearby Claremont on Monday at 4 p.m.

The Thoroughbreds got a victory each in doubles and singles action to snag two points from the Mastadons. In doubles, the team of sophomores Jason Keye and Jack McClaren put up an impressive performance, defeating Kevin Ma and Zach Bessette 8-5 at No. 3. In singles, sophomore JT Wynne took an early lead on Bessette at No. 2 with a 6-4 advantage in the first set. After Bessette took the second set, 6-1, Wynne rallied back and defeated Bessette in the tiebreaking third set, 11-4.

At first doubles, the pair of senior Steven Koulouris and Wynne battled with Sean Wei and Nathan Kaplan. Koulouris and Wynne, trailing 4-3 midway through, would tie things up at five before the Amherst pair went 3-1 to secure the win.
 
Tennis Match Results
Amherst College vs Skidmore College
Mar 11, 2018 at Azusa, CA
(Munson and Bavougian Tennis Complex)
#9 Amherst College 7, #27 Skidmore College 2
 
Singles competition
1. Sean Wei (AMHERST) def. Steven Koulouris (SKIDMORE) 6-3, 6-0
2. JT Wynne (SKIDMORE) def. Zach Bessette (AMHERST) 6-4, 1-6, 11-9
3. Ethan Hillis (AMHERST) def. Travis Leaf (SKIDMORE) 6-3, 6-2
4. Nathan Kaplan (AMHERST) def. Jack McClaren (SKIDMORE) 6-4, 6-3
5. Kevin Ma (AMHERST) def. Ted Berkowitz (SKIDMORE) 6-1, 6-2
6. Jayson Fung (AMHERST) def. Lucas Pickering (SKIDMORE) 6-3, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Sean Wei/Nathan Kaplan (AMHERST) def. Steven Koulouris/JT Wynne (SKIDMORE) 8-6
2. Jayson Fung/Ethan Hillis (AMHERST) def. Travis Leaf/Lucas Pickering (SKIDMORE) 8-3
3. Jason Keye/Jack McClaren (SKIDMORE) def. Kevin Ma/Zach Bessette (AMHERST) 8-5
 
Match Notes:
Amherst College 1-0; National ranking #9; Regional ranking #5
Skidmore College 5-1; National ranking #27; Regional ranking #10