MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The 18th-ranked Embry-Riddle men's tennis team dropped its first Sunshine State Conference game of 2019, falling to top-ranked Barry 6-1 at the Buccaneer Tennis Complex on Saturday. The loss puts the Eagles at 1-4 overall and 0-1 in SSC play, while the Bucs remain unbeaten at 4-0 and are 1-0 in the league.
 
The Eagles faced an uphill battle before taking the court as they were without the services of their top singles and doubles player Juan Ortiz Couder. Ortiz Couder suffered an injury in the Eagles' last match, which rendered him unavailable for today's contest and significantly altered the Eagle lineup.
 
Playing together for the first time, Andres Donayre and Blake Rowheder notched the first win of the day, downing Carlos Gomez and Vivien Versier 6-1 at the third spot. The Bucs answered with Alejandro Ibanez Gallego and Alejandro Ortega Pallacios' 6-2 win over Mickael Faucher and Lucas Bos at No. 2, and Blake Bayldon and Pierre Montrieul clinched the doubles point with their 6-4 win over ERAU's freshman duo of Alexis Guedy and Andrej Omeragic at the top spot.
 
The first singles point went to Ortega Pallacios following his 6-1, 6-1 win over Faucher on court four. Versier followed with a 6-0, 6-1 defeat of Omeragic and Ibanez Gallego clinched the win by topping Bos 6-1, 6-2 at the third spot.
 
Playing in only the second dual match of his career, Rowheder notched the only singles win for the Blue and Gold, holding off Ignasi Forcano in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 11-9.
 
The Eagles will scrimmage ASA-Miami on March 2 second before returning to SSC play against Florida Southern on March 7.