Gaffney, S.C.----The Wingate University men’s and women’s tennis teams earned victories over Limestone College in NCAA Division II tennis action Thursday afternoon at the Emmie Evans Rector Tennis Center. The Bulldog men rallied to defeat the number 35 Limestone Saints 6-3, while the Wingate women blanked Limestone 9-0.

The Wingate men are 3-2 overall, while the Bulldog women improve to 5-1 overall on the young season. The Limestone men are 2-4 overall, while the Saints are 0-7 overall on the women’s side. Wingate opens South Atlantic Conference next Thursday, visiting Lenoir-Rhyne University for a 2:30 p.m. twin bill. Limestone hosts Newberry College Friday at 2 p.m.

The Bulldog men rallied after dropping two of the three doubles matches. Wingate rallied in a big way, sweep the top five singles flights. Bulldog junior Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) won the clinching match at the number one singles flight, defeating Limestone’s Miguel Lopez Zuniga 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. Lichtenstein is the reigning SAC men’s tennis Player of the Week.

Senior Fernando Montemurro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) won twice for the visitors. He teamed with freshman Ryan Forbes (Charlotte, N.C.) to defeat Limestone’s Abraham Lascari Diaz and Daniel Lopez 8-3 at the number three doubles flight. Montemurro lost the first set in singles, but bounced back to defeat Diaz 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7) in the number five flight.

The women dropped only eight games in singles action. Senior Kara Stasikelis (Greer, S.C.) defeated Limestone’s Jimena Munoz Quiroga 6-1, 6-3 at the number one singles flight. Earlier in the day, she teamed with sophomore Kelli Ferguson (Concord, N.C.) to top Munoz Quiroga and Eve Aubry 8-5 in the number one doubles position.

Freshman Morgan Winston (Lawrenceville, Ga.) did not lose a game Thursday. She teamed with classmate Olivia Poole (Boca Raton, Fla.) to earn an 8-0 victory over Jenny Naven and Bea Nicholas in the number three doubles match. Winston blanked Krystal Barker 6-0, 6-0 at the number three singles flight. Ferguson matched Winston with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Nicholas at the number six singles flight.

NCAA Division II women’s tennis box score
Wingate 9, Limestone 0 (at Gaffney, S.C.)

Singles
Kara Stasikelis (WIN) def. Jimena Munoz Quiroga (LC) 6-1, 6-3
Ali Evers (WIN) def. Eve Aubry (LC) 6-1, 6-2
Morgan Winston (WIN) def. Krystal Barker (LC) 6-0, 6-0
Olivia Poole (WIN) def. Jenny Naven (LC) 6-0, 3-0 injury default
Helen Goreski (WIN) def. Nicole Jones (LC) 6-1, 6-0
Kelli Ferguson (WIN) def. Bea Nicholas (LC) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
Stasikelis/Ferguson (WIN) def. Munoz Quiroga/Aubry (LC) 8-5
Evers/Sam Alschlager (WIN) def. Barker/Jones (LC) 8-2
Winston/Poole (WIN) def. Naven/Nicholas (LC) 8-0

Records: Wingate 5-1, Limestone 0-7

NCAA Division II men’s tennis box score
Wingate 6, #35 Limestone 3 (at Gaffney, S.C.)

Singles
Matthew Lichtenstein (WIN) def. Miguel Lopez Zuniga (LC) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
Andrew Owen (WIN) def. Mike Stephenson (LC) 6-2, 6-4
Flavio Rathsam (WIN) def. Rafael Ferla (LC) 6-2, 6-0
Braeden Patchell (WIN) def. Jordan Vicain (LC) 6-3, 6-1
Fernando Montemurro (WIN) def. Abraham Lascari Diaz (LC) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7)
Daniel Lopez (LC) def. Ryan Forbes (WIN) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles
Lopez Zuniga/Vicain (LC) def. Owen/Rathsam (WIN) 8-5
Stephenso/Ferla (LC) def. Lichtenstein/Patchell (WIN) 8-5
Montemurro/Forbes (WIN) def. Diaz/Lopez (LC) 8-3

Records: Wingate 3-2, #35 Limestone 2-4