Claremont, CA - The 24th-ranked N.C. Wesleyan men's tennis team battled hard but came up short against No. 18 Babson, falling 5-2 on Friday at the Pauley Tennis Center.

The Battling Bishops (5-5) secured one win in doubles and another in singles but were unable to overcome Babson (11-1), who claimed four of the six singles matches.

Doubles Recap

Wesleyan picked up a strong win at No. 2 doubles, where Martin Cardestig and Bernardo Messineo earned a 6-4 victory over Sebastian Mendoza and Brady Anderson. However, Babson claimed the other two doubles matches, with Alex Merson and Ole Lepsoe edging out Luca Knese and Albert Sitwell 6-4 at No. 1, while Edward Wang and Wesley Zhang defeated Brody Brice and Shori Nishizoe by the same score at No. 3.

With Babson taking two of the three doubles matches, the Beavers secured the critical doubles point heading into singles play.

Singles Recap

Wesleyan's two victories in singles came in thrilling three-set battles. Knese secured a dramatic win at No. 1 singles, rallying to defeat Anderson 6-7 (5), 7-5, 12-10 in a back-and-forth contest. Meanwhile, Messineo delivered another clutch performance for the Bishops at No. 6, outlasting Louis Bourn 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

Babson took control in the remaining singles matches, as Wang (No. 2), Merson (No. 3), Zhang (No. 4), and Mendoza (No. 5) each won to clinch the match for the Beavers.

Despite the loss, the Battling Bishops showed resilience against a strong opponent and will look to bounce back in the next matchup.

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