DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men's tennis team ran its overall record to 9-2 with an 8-1 victory over 25th-ranked Oklahoma Baptist (3-9), Wednesday at the Crotty Tennis Complex.

The Eagles began their scoring with top-ranked Deni Zmak and Simon Felix's 8-1 defeat of ninth-ranked Marco Carvajal and Dario Macanovic at the top spot. Miguel Lopez Gomez and Luke de Caires added another point with an 8-2 win over Francisco DaSilva and Austin Canfield at the third position, and at No. 2 doubles, Patrick Besch and Juan Verberne teamed up for the first time this season and posted an 8-6 win over Daniel Aguilar and Augustin Janssen to put the Eagles up 3-0.

With the Eagles regular second flight singles player Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios unavailable for Wednesday's match, ERAU Head Coach Dave Paschal had to make a few adjustments to the Eagle lineup. Playing his first match of the year at the No. 4 spot, Lopez Gomez had no trouble with DaSilva, walking away with a 6-0, 6-0 win.

Playing in his accustomed No. 3 spot, 38th-ranked Felix faced a tough first-set battle against 47th-ranked Macanovic, but the ERAU senior was able to pull out a 7-6 win in the first set and cruised to a 6-0 victory in the second to record the clinching point for the Blue and Gold.

The contest at the top singles spot between top-ranked Zmak and 10th-ranked Carvajal was a rematch of the 2013 ITA/NAIA National Singles Championship match, which Zmak won in straight sets. Like the first meeting between Zmak and Carvajal, Wednesday's match needed a tiebreaker to determine the first set. In the end it was Zmak who was able to climb out of a 4-1 hole and hold off Carvajal 7-6, 7-4 in the tiebreaker. The second set belonged to Zmak who downed Carvajal 6-3 to give the Eagles their sixth point of the day.

For the first time this season, Besch played at the No. 2 spot in the lineup and was able to notch his first win at that position, toppling 21st-ranked Aguilar 6-2, 5-7, 10-5. De Caires bested Janssen 6-3, 6-4 at No. 5 singles to put the Eagles up 8-0, and Travis Gilliand topped Verberne 6-2, 6-4 at No. 6 for the Bison's only point of the match.

The Eagles' next match is slated for 3:30 p.m. on March 25 at home against Northwestern Ohio.


#1 Embry-Riddle 8, #25 Oklahoma Baptist 1

 Singles
1. #1 Deni Zmak (ERAUMT13) def. #10 Marco Carvajal (OBU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
2. Patrick Besch (ERAUMT13) def. #21 Daniel Aguilar (OBU) 6-2, 5-7, 10-5
3. #38 Simon Felix (ERAUMT13) def. #47 Dario Macanovic (OBU) 7-6, 6-0
4. Miguel Lopez Gomez (ERAUMT13) def. Francisco DaSilva (OBU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Luke de Caires (ERAUMT13) def. Augustin Janssen (OBU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Travis Gilliand (OBU) def. Juan Verberne (ERAUMT13) 6-2, 6-4

 Doubles
1. #1 Simon Felix/Deni Zmak (ERAUMT13) def. #9 Marco Carvajal/Dario Macanovic (OBU) 8-1
2. Patrick Besch/Juan Verberne (ERAUMT13) def. Daniel Aguilar/Augustin Janssen (OBU) 8-6
3. Miguel Lopez Gomez/Luke de Caires (ERAUMT13) def. Francisco DaSilva/Austin Canfield (OBU) 8-2

Match Notes:
Oklahoma Baptist 3-8; National ranking #25
Embry-Riddle 7-2; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,3,2,1,6,5)