VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. --- Bridgewater College defeated Emory & Henry, 5-2, in the semifinals of the ODAC Men's Tennis Tournament played Saturday at Virginia Wesleyan College.

With the victory, the Eagles will play in the ODAC Championship Match for the second straight year. Bridgewater will meet Washington and Lee in Sunday's title match beginning at 10 a.m.

W&L defeated Virginia Wesleyan, 5-0, in Saturday's other semifinal match.

The Eagles took a 2-1 lead at the end of doubles play with victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.

Bridgewater's Evan Stack and Brandon Larsen edged Adam Henderson and Matt Nelson 8-6 at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2 doubles Mike Cable and Christian Lynn turned back Webster Gilley and James Keighley 8-4.

Bridgewater's No. 3 doubles team - Peter Hawkins and Sam Churchill - suffered their first loss of the season to an ODAC team at the third doubles slot when Zach Eccher and Alex Minasyan took an 8-5 victory.

The Eagles needed three singles wins to clinch the match and they earned those at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6, winning all three in straight sets.

Churchill rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Eccher at No. 6 and Stack defeated Nelson 7-5, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. At No. 1, Hawkins held off Keighley 6-4, 6-4.

E&H picked up one singles point when Henderson defeated Lynn 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.

Two matches - No. 2 and No. 5 singles - were unfinished as played was stopped when the Eagles earned the clinching fifth point.

At No. 2 singles, Larsen was leading Minasyan 6-4, 5-2 when the match was stopped. At No. 5 singles, Cable and Gilley had split sets with Gilley winning the first 6-2 and Cable taking the second set 6-4.

This release is courtesy of the Bridgewater sports information department.
www.bridgewatereagles.com