ONEONTA, NY – For the second straight day, Hartwick men's tennis dropped a heartbreaker in Empire 8 Conference play. Today, the Hawks fell in the final match of the afternoon giving the visiting Golden Flyers a 5-4 win. Yesterday, the Hawks also were just one match shy of a victory in a 5-4 loss to Fisher.
           
The Hawks are now 1-5 overall and 1-2 in Empire 8 play. The Golden Flyers improve to 5-8, and 2-0 in the E8.
           
The match was all even at 4-4 with only the fifth singles match left to decide the winner. Hartwick's Will Gilbraith (West Monroe, NY/Paul V. Moore HS) took the opening set over Naz's Nick Lord by a count of 6-4. Lord fought back in the second and took the set 6-3 to set the stage for a third and deciding set. Lord would come away with the match as he took six of seven games to ensure Naz's team win.
           
Jeff Boyd (West Newbury, MA/Pentucket Regional) and Peter Dumas (Albany, NY/Colonie HS) kept their unblemished doubles record intact with a big 8-5 win over Naz's top tandem, Ryan McCormick and Bret Beaver. The Golden Flyers, however, led 2-1 after doubles play.
           
Dumas survived a three-setter against Beaver in second singles for the Hawks. Dumas swept in the first set 6-0, but Beaver came back to outlast him in a tie-breaker in the second set, 7-6 (7-4). Dumas closed out the win, 6-3, in the third set.
           
Marcelo Navarro (San Juan, Puerto Rico/American Military Acad.) remained unbeaten at third singles with a straight-set, 6-3, 6-3 win over Jeremy Mancus. He is now 3-0 in his first three matches of the season.
           
Freshman Brian Redder (Marion, NY/Williamson Central) also earned a win for the Hawks in the sixth spot. He defeated Naz's Zach Morley, 6-2, 6-2.
           
Hartwick will next play on Monday in a non-conference match at home against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.