WACO, Texas - The Pirate men's tennis team had their first dual meet and were just two points away from winning the match as they fell to Austin College 5-4 on Saturday.

Southwestern started out well, winning two of the three doubles matches. Andrew Clarage and Alexander Reinsch easily handled Rousch/Taylor in #1 doubles, winning 8-1. Andrew Olsson and Riley Bunnell (pictured) fell to Bengston/Edwards in the number two slot 8-2 while first-years Thomas Behrenbeck and Alec Bergerson won #3 doubles 8-2 over Gordon/Gander.

The top two singles players, Reinsch and Clarage, had a tough time in their matches as Reinsch lost to Rousch 6-2, 6-3 and Clarage fell to Edwards 6-1, 7-6. Bergerson kept the Pirates in the game by winning over Taylor in the number three slot 6-3, 6-1 and Mappes defeated Gordon in the fifth slot 6-2, 7-5.

The two critical games came in #4 and #6 singles as Austin College narrowly beat SU to steal the win. Andrew Olsson took Bangston to a third set and was just narrowly beat after a long set 16-14. Behrenbeck had a third-set tiebreaker himself and was narrowly beat 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 by Gander.

The Pirates next compete at the ITA Regionals on October 1-3 hosted in San Antonio, Texas.