Davis Elkins

Jack Buchan

The College of Wooster men's tennis squad put forth a strong effort against nationally-ranked Pacific (Ore.) University, scoring three team points during a 6-3 setback, as it opened the 2016 spring semester of competition inside the Scot Center on Saturday afternoon.

Wooster (2-1) got an early boost from its top doubles pairing of Jack Buchan and Davis Elkins, outlasting their opponents from Pacific (1-1), No. 40 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA Div. III rankings, in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-4).

Trailing 2-1 after the doubles, the Fighting Scots battled their way to a pair of singles victories at Nos. 5 and 6 while several other positions were closely contested. Harrison Suttle went the distance at the fifth spot, storming back from a 7-2 deficit in the third-set super tiebreak to prevail 12-10 after splitting the first two sets, 2-6 and 6-4, while freshman Jesse DeWitt notched his first collegiate win at six by scores of 7-6 (7-0), 6-4.

Third singles saw Wooster's Vilius Sulnis get off to a good start before succumbing 2-6, 7-5, 6-0, while Buchan lost a tight battle at No. 2 (7-5, 6-3). Also notable, the Scots' Titas Bera faced off against a regionally-ranked foe in a 6-4, 6-2 setback at No. 1.

Next Saturday, Wooster will be at No. 33 DePauw University (1-0) for a tri-match with the host school and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (0-1).