GREENCASTLE, Ind. – Seeded 6th in the 2008 SCAC Tournament, the Millsaps men's tennis team defeated Southwestern this morning by a 7-2 score in the first round before falling to 3rd-seeded Sewanee 6-3 in the afternoon closer at DePauw University.
Millsaps swept the doubles point 3-0, compared to a 2-1 deficit the Majors faced when the two teams played each other back in Birmingham, Ala., on April 11, and captured four of the six doubles points to secure the 7-2 victory.
Murphey Parker, Campbell Hughes and Tim Shoptaugh each won at No's 1-3 singles in straight-sets, while Wes Hill took care of Charles Prince at No. 5 singles, 6-1, 6-3.
The Majors fell to Sewanee in their matinee by a 6-3 score after taking a 2-1 lead in doubles play but put in the best showing against the Tigers in some 15 years.
Parker lost to regionally-ranked Charlie Boyd at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-2, to knot the score at 2-2 and Robert Parker played for an injured Chris Rolen at the No. 6 spot, where he fell to Jay Hill 6-4, 6-2 and Millsaps trailed 3-2.
Hughes then picked up the Majors' only win in singles play at the No. 2 spot to tie the score again at 3-3. Trevor Harris, Shoptaugh and Hill all then won their second set to force a deciding third set in the remaining matches and it looked like the upset of the tournament was in hand, until the Tigers regained the upper hand and took the match.
Unfortunately for Millsaps, Hill went flat and lost six-straight games to put the Tigers up match point, Shoptaugh was up a break at 4-3 and started to cramp all over and Harris' third set went much like the first set and a great upset fell short of everyone's wishes.
Millsaps will shoot for a fifth place finish as play resumes tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET with the Majors taking on 7th-seeded Colorado College.