NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Tournament
New England Regional First Round
Middlebury 4, Bates 2
at Middlebury, Vt.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The seventh-seeded Bates College men's tennis team fell in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament, 4-2, at the hands of No. 2 seed Middlebury College.

The Bobcats, who were making their third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, fell behind early as the Panthers won two of three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead into the singles. All three doubles matches were decided by just one break, 8-6. Bates' No. 3 team of junior Brett Carty (Belle Meade, N.J.) and sophomore Mike Hoverman (Warwick, R.I.) earned the Bobcats' doubles win.

In the singles matches, Bates won at No. 2 and No. 5. Senior captain Ben Lamanna (Barrington, R.I.) won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2, while Carty had the best day of any Bobcat, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5. Rookie Sam Duvall (Mt. Washington, Ky.) had his No. 3 match suspended after Middlebury clinched the win.

Bates ends its 2002 season with an 8-6 record, while 12-3 Middlebury advances to face Bowdoin, 7-0 winners over Trinity, in the regional final tomorrow at 1 p.m.

SINGLES
1. Justin Ingoglia (M) def. Alex Macdonald (B): 6-2, 6-4
2. Ben Lamanna (B) def. Steve Hulce (M): 6-4, 6-2
3. Matt Dougherty (M) vs. Sam Duvall (B): 7-5, 5-6 (susp)
4. Andrew Jacobi (M) def. Dave Meyer (B): 6-3, 6-4
5. Brett Carty (B) def. Alex Meditz (M): 6-2, 6-2
6. Stuart Brown (M) def. Blake Wayman (B): 6-3, 6-2

DOUBLES
1. Hulce-Dougherty (M) def. Macdonald-Lamanna (B): 8-6
2. Ingoglia-Brown (M) def. Duvall-Meyer (B): 8-6
3. Carty-Hoverman (B) def. Jamgochian-Jacobi (M): 8-6