Mustangs edged in first round of nationals

MOBILE, Ala. — The Morningside University men's tennis team came up just short in the opening round of the NAIA National Championships on Tuesday, falling 4-3 to Middle Georgia State at the Mobile Tennis Center.

The Mustangs started strong in doubles play, claiming the match point by winning the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matchups — both by a score of 7-5. Alexis Diaz and Marcos Menendez Gervella teamed up for the win at No. 2, while Mathys Arnold and Jesse Gerth secured the point at No. 3.

In singles play, Gerth earned a straight-sets win at No. 6 (6-4, 6-2) over Nick Dufner, and Arnold followed with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 5 over Samyak Bajracharya.

The decisive point came down to No. 4 singles, where Santiago Minetti battled back after dropping the first set 3-6. He claimed the second set 6-4 to force a third, but Middle Georgia State edged him out in a tightly contested 7-6 tiebreak to seal the win.

Morningside finishes its season at 24-2, with Tuesday marking the team's first loss since March 7. The Mustangs won both the GPAC regular-season and tournament titles and made their second consecutive appearance at nationals.