Box Score

HAMDEN, Conn.  - It all came down to the final two matches on the court. Juniors Chip Palumbo (Winchester, Mass.) and Chris Piasecki (Norwalk, Conn.) rose to the challenge, winning their matches in three sets to lift the Fairfield University men's tennis team to a 4-3 victory at Quinnipiac this afternoon.

The Stags (8-9) were trailing 3-2 heading into the final two matches. At No. 5 singles, Palumbo was working on the three-set victory against Tom Curran. In the final set, he won the volley and was able to serve it out for the 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win while tying the match 3-3. After Palumbo's win, Piasecki and opponent Joe Nuara remained on the court battling it out in a three set match of their own. Piasecki prevailed taking the match, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0, and giving Fairfield the win. 

At No. 2 singles, freshman Rob Ferrante (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) defeated John Hughes, 6-0, 7-6(7-0). Freshman George Laffey (Basking Ridge, N.J.) picked up a win at No. 3 singles defeating Sean Pease, 6-2, 6-3. 

At the top spot, sophomore Ryan  Berthod (White Plains, N.Y.) was edged by Brian Mikkelson, 7-5, 6-4. Senior Balazs Szikla (Budapest, Hungary) fell to Scott Salway, 7-6(7-1), 6-3 at No. 4 singles. 

Quinnipiac (4-8) swept the doubles points. At No. 1 doubles, Pease and Mikkelson defeated Berthod and Ferrante, 8-5. At No. 2 doubles, Hughes and Salway edged Laffey and partner Glen Gannon (Chatham, N.J.), 8-7(9-7). At No. 3 doubles, Curran and Nuara defeated Palumbo and Szikla, 8-4. 

Fairfield returns to the courts on April 10 when its hosts conference foe Manhattan at 1 p.m. at the Walsh Athletic Center Tennis Courts.