Wingate, N.C.----The number six Columbus State University men's tennis team swept the three doubles matches and collected victories at number six and number one singles to take a 5-0 triumph over number 32 Wingate University in an NCAA Division II Southeast Regional tournament match at the Mary V. Blackmon Tennis Center on the CSU campus.
 
Columbus State (19-5 overall) is the number two seed in the region. The Cougars will face either Lander or Mount Olive Sunday at 3 p.m. for an opportunity to advance to the national championship site. The South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament champion Bulldogs conclude a stellar 2014 campaign 18-8 overall.
 
The Cougars started the day with victories at the number one and number two doubles flights to take a 2-0 lead. In the number three doubles match, Wingate freshmen Filippo Pezzoli (Milan, Italy) and Tyler Schofer (Graham, N.C.) trailed 7-4 before rallying to tie the match 8-8 and force a tie-breaker. Columbus State sophomore Benedikt Wilde (Fürth, Germany) and freshman Maciej Kierkus (Jaworzno, Poland) prevailed to take the set 9-8.
 
Wilde nudged the CSU advantage to 4-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Wingate junior Josh Eardley (Newcastle, Staffordshire, England) in the number six singles match. The Cougars clinched the victory at the number one flight, when NCAA Division II number 17 player and CSU junior Oussama Zoghlami (Quebec, Canada) defeated Wingate junior Neal Towlson (Warwick, Bermuda) 6-3, 6-1.
 
Three Bulldogs won the first set in their respective singles matches. Wingate sophomore Sebastian Hall (Lörrach, Germany) defeated CSU sophomore Marco Almorin (Zaragoza, Spain) 6-4 in the first set at the number two singles flight. Almorin led the second set 3-0 when play was halted.
 
Pezzoli edged Columbus State junior Adi Malicbegovic (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) in a 7-5 first set at the number three singles flight. Malicbegovic led 2-1 in the second stanza when play was suspended.
 
Food Lion SAC tournament MVP and Wingate freshman Connor Kudrick (Spring, Texas) took a 6-4 first-set decision over Cougar senior Danilo Sardelli (Americana, Brazil) at the number four singles position. Kudrick and Sardelli were tied 4-4 in the second set when play was halted.
 
The NCAA tournament match was the last contest for Wingate senior Ryan Forbes (Charlotte, N.C.). A four-year letter winner, Forbes compiled a career singles record of 42-30 overall. He had a career-high 15 singles victories his junior season. In doubles, Forbes posted a career mark of 58-31 overall. He won 17 matches as a sophomore, 18 matches as a junior and 16 matches as a senior.