ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick's men's tennis team took visiting St. John Fisher down to the wire on Friday only to fall a match short as the Cardinals came away with a 5-4 win. The Hawks fall to 1-4 overall and 1-1 in Empire 8 play. Fisher improves to 3-8 and 2-1 in the conference.
           
The result came down to the final singles match as the Hawks and Cardinals battled to a score of 4-4 through the first eight matches. Fisher junior Dan Parshall would emerge with the clincher in fourth singles over the Hawk freshman Brian Redder (Marion, NY/Williamson Central).
           
The Cardinals jumped out in front after doubles play taking two of three matches. Jeff Boyd (West Newbury, MA/Pentucket Regional) and Peter Dumas (Albany, NY/Colonie HS) improved to 2-0 this season in first doubles after storming past Fisher's top duo of Greg Duffy and Sheldon Mitchell. Fisher won the other two matches, however, in the second and third flights.
           
Boyd, Dumas, and Marcelo Navarro (San Juan, Puerto Rico/American Military Acad.)
each won their matches in straight sets in the top three flights for 'Wick. The three Hawks have now won two straight matches.
           
Boyd downed John Whelehan, 6-1, 6-1 in first singles. Dumas defeated Duffy in the second slot, 6-4, 6-2. Navarro got by Joseph Aquino, 6-4, 6-1.
           
Mitchell earned a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hartwick's Bobby Amberson (Raeford, NC/Middletown HS) in the fifth position. Chris Maley secured a 6-1, 6-3 victory over 'Wick's Will Gilbraith (West Monroe, NY/Paul V. Moore HS) in sixth singles action.
           
Redder and Parshall split the first two sets in their match. Parshall took the first set, 7-5, but Redder returned the favor in the second, taking the set 6-4. Impending darkness on Hartwick's campus would move the final set to the Oneonta Tennis Club, where Parshall would seal the Cardinal win in the third set, 6-1.
           
Hartwick hosts Nazareth in another important Empire 8 Conference match tomorrow. The Golden Flyers and Hawks play at 1 p.m.