#2 Farmingdale State - 5, #1 Manhattanville - 4
Purchase, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's tennis team won the Skyline Conference Championship this afternoon, 5-4, over #1 Manhattanville. With the match knotted at 4-4, FSC senior Zachary Baker (Carmel, N.Y.) earned a 6-4 win in the tiebreaking third set at #1 singles to clinch the victory.
After falling at second (8-6) and third doubles (8-2), Z Baker and sophomore Mark Baker (North Baldwin, N.Y.) won a tiebreaker at top doubles, 8-7 (7-5), as the Rams headed to singles play down, 2-1.
Farmingdale State opened with two wins at second and third singles to take a 3-2 advantage. M Baker defeated senior Alex Fleischman (Riverside, Conn.), 6-0, 6-2, while freshman Alan Sabovic (Bohemia, N.Y.) earned a 6-4, 7-5 win over sophomore Luis Gonzalez (Norwalk, Conn.).
The Rams dropped #5 singles, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), as the three remaining matches entered a tiebreaking third set.
Manhattanville took a 4-3 lead as junior Dylan Crowley (Pelham, N.Y.) won 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 at fourth singles, but FSC's Cooper Everett (Long Beach, N.Y.) knotted the match at 4-4, winning his #6 singles match 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
The top flight singles match between Z Baker and Valiants freshman James Hourihan (Ridgefield, Conn.) was in its third set when the match was suspended due to rain.
After moving indoors at the Hilton in Rye Brook, N.Y., Z Baker and Hourihan traded points as Baker led 5-4.
Z Baker then broke serve to clinch the match, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, and the Skyline Conference Championship for Farmingdale State, 5-4. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 Skyline Conference Championship after his tiebreaking wins in both the top doubles and singles matches.
FSC has earned the Skyline's automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship. The bracket will be revealed on NCAA.com tomorrow morning, Monday, May 10th.
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