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Falcons Head To Commonwealth Tourney After Crushing LBC
Posted: 4/23/2009
Box Score | More Men's Tennis news
Freshman Andrew Wismer was one of five singles matches to be decided in 6-0, 6-0 fashion Thursday.

Grantham, PA — If heading into the post-season on a good note bears importance, the Messiah men’s tennis team is in awfully good shape.

The Falcons handed Lancaster Bible College a 9-0 defeat Thursday afternoon at the Messiah College Tennis Complex, posting several season-best marks in the squad’s regular-season and home finale.

Messiah (9-7) surrendered a season-low two games throughout singles play and allowed just four games to the Chargers in three doubles matches, cruising to its third 9-0 decision of the season.

No match could compare to the dominance Messiah displayed on this day, however, as Lancaster Bible (0-11) found the going difficult from the start. An impressive 8-0 win at number one doubles from senior Sam Shorts and sophomore Jansen Hein was followed with an 8-1 win at the third flight — freshmen Andrew Wismer and Adam Sheir teamed to do the honors — while the Falcons’ number two team of junior Luke Ruch and freshman Mike Elliott cruised to an 8-3 decision over LBC’s Jonathon Recaman and Brandon Taylor.

Singles play was even more of a stretch, as Hein, Shorts, Ruch, Wismer and Sheir all swept their opponents by 6-0, 6-0 scores. It was the first sweep of the season for both Ruch and Sheir, respectively, as that tandem won at the number three and six singles positions.

“Lancaster Bible was a bit overmatched today, but we still played very well,” said Sheila Bush, Messiah head coach. “We wanted to focus on our own shot making today, in hopes that it will help leading into the conference tournament.”

Messiah will next compete in the four-team, two-day MAC Commonwealth Tournament over the weekend, as the second-seeded Falcons will take on third-seed Lebanon Valley College at 12 p.m. Saturday. Messiah narrowly defeated LVC by a 5-4 score Apr. 16.

The winner of that match will face the winner of the Elizabethtown College-Arcadia University tilt Sunday at 2:30 p.m. All MAC Commonwealth Tournament matches will take place at Hempfield Sports Complex in Landisburg, Pa.