Box Score

Savannah, Ga.----The 44th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs won two out of three doubles matches Sunday morning, but the 26th-ranked Patriots of Francis Marion prevailed in four of the first five singles matches to take a 5-3 victory in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA women's tennis tournament. FMU improves to 15-6 overall, advancing to the second round of the tournament. Wingate sees its season end at 19-6 overall.

FMU won number two doubles 8-3, but an 8-4 win from freshman Layla Tanik (Raleigh, N.C.) and junior Sarah Martin (Chadron, Ohio) at number three doubles made it 1-1. The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead when senior Ali Evers (Roswell, Ga.) and junior Becca Thomas (Alpharetta, Ga.) won 8-5 at number one doubles.

Wingate took a 3-1 lead when freshman Sierra Parsons (Toronto, Canada) won 6-0, 6-1 at number five singles. The Patriots won at number six and number one singles to tie the match at three, while a victory at number four singles put FMU on top 4-3. Francis Marion's Julia Graf won the clincher at number two singles, winning 6-3, 6-0 against Thomas. At number three singles, Tanik dropped the opening set 7-5 but led set two 5-1 when the match ended.

Francis Marion advances to take on the top-seeded and second-ranked Pirates of Armstrong Atlantic on Monday. The Pirates defeated Tusculum 5-0 Sunday morning.

The Bulldogs were playing short-handed Sunday, missing two of six starters who were injured in a car accident last week. All-SAC sophomore Caroline Holland (Spartanburg, S.C.), Wingate's number two singles player did not play, while junior Tiffany Williams (Cary, N.C.), Wingate's number six singles player, was also out Sunday. Tanik, normally Wingate's number four singles player, was also hurt in the accident, but was able to play Sunday.