Story provided by Swarthmore Sports Information
Swarthmore, Pa. (May 4, 2007) – The Baruch College (N.Y.) men’s tennis team won its first-ever NCAA Tournament match, edging Alvernia College 5-4 in first round action of the 2007 Division III Men’s Tennis Championships at Edwin Faulkner Courts on the campus of Swarthmore College Friday afternoon.
The Bearcats (12-4) advance to the second round, facing defending national champion Emory (Ga.) University (14-7) at 11:00 a.m. on Faulkner Courts.
The result of the match hinged on the outcome of the marathon No. 6 singles match won by Baruch junior Ramon Shane-Johnson (Kingston, Jamaica / Middle College HS). Shane-Johnson won the first set 6-2 before Alvernia freshman Ryan Lineaweaver (Robesonia, PA / ELCO) claimed the third set by the score of 6-3. With the overall team-score knotted at 4-4, Shane-Johnson jumped out to a commanding 5-1 lead in the third set. Lineaweaver hung tough, fighting off multiple match points to force a tie-break with the third set at 6-all. Shane-Johnson re-grouped to sweep through the tie-break, 7-1, to extend Baruch’s season.
The Bearcats assumed an early 2-1 lead following doubles’ action. Baruch’s No. 1 pair of Emanuel Imperial (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph by the Sea) and Timmy Leon (Flushing, NY / Francis-Lewis) broke a 4-all tie, winning the final four games to pick up an 8-4 victory over Alvernia’s Zach Lockwood (Reading, PA / Conrad Weiser) and Lineaweaver. The Crusaders knotted the score up at 1-1 by withstanding a furious Baruch rally at No. 3 doubles as Alvernia’s Phil Snyder (Easton, PA / Notre Dame) and Kyle Levengood (Fleetwood, PA / Brandywine Heights) held off Baruch’s Dimitru Pitu (Whitestone, NY / Holy Cross) and Shane-Johnson 8-6.
The Bearcats’ tandem of Alex Sokol (Staten Island, NY / Susan Wagner) and Michalis Zevlakis (Astoria, NY / Flushing) rallied from down 3-1, winning seven of the final nine games to earn an 8-5 victory at No. 2 over the Crusaders’ Dave Emkey (Wyomissing, PA / Holy Name) and Dave Schaeffer (Pottstown, PA / Pottstown).
Alvernia (9-2) tied the score 2-2 when Emkey rolled 6-3, 6-1 at No.2 singles over Leon, but the Bearcats re-assumed a 3-2 lead as Pitu made quick work at No. 5, winning 6-3, 6-1 over Schaeffer. The Crusaders kept pace as Lockwood downed Imperial 6-2, 6-0 at No.1 to even the match at 3-all.
Sokol grinded through a long first set, prevailing 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 over Snyder. Baruch now led 4-3. Levengood rallied, down a set to Zevlakis at No. 4, to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, putting the team result in the hands of the No. 6 match.
The second round matches will take place on Saturday, May 5 at Faulkner Courts. Following Emory vs. Baruch at 11:00 a.m., host Swarthmore (6-9) takes on The College of New Jersey (11-2) at 1:30 p.m. The winners of the second-round matches will meet on Sunday, May 6 at 12:00 p.m. at Faulkner Courts to decide who adavnces onto the quarterfinals at Washington University of St. Louis on May 15-21.
Baruch College 5, Alvernia College 4
Singles competition
1. Zachary Lockwood (ACMT) def. Emanuel Imperial (BAR) 6-2, 6-0
2. David Emkey (ACMT) def. Timmy Leon (BAR) 6-3, 6-1
3. Alex Sokol (BAR) def. Phil Snyder (ACMT) 6-2, 6-2
4. Kyle Levengood (ACMT) def. Michalis Zevlakis (BAR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Dumitru Pitu (BAR) def. David Schaeffer (ACMT) 6-3, 6-1
6. Ramon-Shane Johnson (BAR) def. Ryan Lineaweaver (ACMT) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1)
Doubles competition
1. Timmy Leon/Emanuel Imperial (BAR) def. Zachary Lockwood/Ryan Lineaweaver (ACMT) 8-4
2. Alex Sokol/Michalis Zevlakis (BAR) def. David Emkey/David Schaeffer (ACMT) 8-5
3. Phil Snyder/Kyle Levengood (ACMT) def. Dumitru Pitu/Ramon-Shane Johnson (BAR) 8-6
