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FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Lee University men's tennis team split a pair of matches over the weekend. The Flames (1-3) lost to Belmont Abbey College, 6-3, on Friday and defeated host Emmanuel College, 5-4, Saturday morning.

Lee will return to action on Wednesday, March 4, when they host Shorter University at the DeVos Tennis Center. The Gulf South Conference match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

 
FLAMES 5, EMMANUEL 4
Emmanuel (0-5) carried a 2-1 lead after winning the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches. Rhys Milne and Daniel Hardesty beat Lucas Vellozo and David Forehand, 8-5, in the No. 1 doubles match.

The Flames evened the team score after claiming two of the first three singles matches. Ignacio Salom won 6-0, 6-2 over Vellozo and Milne won both sets against Louis Malejka by a 6-3 margin.

Emmanuel would take a 4-3 lead following Austin Spivey's win at No. 6 singles, but Hardesty held off Joaquin Marshall 7-5 in his first set and tied the team score with a 6-1 mark in the second set.

The team match came down to the No. 4 singles match between Lee's Westley Lemke and Emmanuel's Forehand. Forehand won the opening set 6-4 and Lemke fought back to force a third set with a 6-2 second-set score. The third set was tightly contested until Forehand's return of a Lemke serve went long to give Lemke a 6-4 win in the third set and Lee the team win.

"We were out of it until the very end," said head coach Patric Hynes. "What I'm proud of is how hard we fought for that result. It's a good step for our program."

 
BELMONT ABBEY 6, FLAMES 3
Belmont Abbey (5-5) earned wins in 2-of-3 doubles matches and 4-of-6 singles matches to earn the neutral site victory.

Salom teamed with Kip Kahler to edge Damien Nelson and Nikhil Reddy Amaresh, 8-6, in the No. 3 doubles match. The Crusaders won the other two doubles contests by matching 8-2 scores.

Milne pulled the Flames even at 2-2 with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of James Delaney, but Belmont Abbey would record two straight victories to get within one of clinching the team win.

Kahler would pick up his second win of the day at No. 6 singles with a 6-1, 6-1 takedown of Will Bezy.

That would be the closest Lee would get as Belmont Abbey won at No. 4 and No. 5 singles to provide the final margin.
 
Lee University 5, Emmanuel College 4
Doubles competition
1. Rhys Milne/Daniel Hardesty (LU) def. Lucas Vellozo/David Forehand (EC) 8-5
2. Ben Strickland/Louis Malejka (EC) def. Westley Lemke/Mike Herrelle (LU) 9-8 (7-2)
3. Joaquin Marshall/Tyler Terrell (EC) def. Ignacio Salom/Kip Kahler (LU) 8-2

Singles competition
1. Ignacio Salom (LU) def. Lucas Vellozo (EC) 6-0, 6-2
2. Rhys Milne (LU) def. Louis Malejka (EC) 6-3, 6-3
3. Daniel Hardesty (LU) def. Joaquin Marshall (EC) 7-5, 6-1
4. Westley Lemke (LU) def. David Forehand (EC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
5. Ben Strickland (EC) def. Kip Kahler (LU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Austin Spivey (EC) def. Garrett Byrd (LU) 6-0, 7-6
 
Belmont Abbey College 6, Lee University 3
Doubles competition
1. Conner McMann/Juan Baez (BA) def. Daniel Hardesty/Rhys Milne (LU) 8-2
2. James Delaney/Eduardo Escobar (BA) def. Westley Lemke/Mike Herrelle (LU) 8-2
3. Ignacio Salom/Kip Kahler (LU) def. Damien Nelson/Nikhil Reddy Amaresh (BA) 8-6

Singles competition
1. Conner McMann (BA) def. Ignacio Salom (LU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Juan Baez (BA) def. Daniel Hardesty (LU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Rhys Milne (LU) def. James Delaney (BA) 6-3, 6-2
4. Eduardo Escobar (BA) def. Westley Lemke (LU) 1-6, 6-0, 6-2
5. Gabe Trombini (BA) def. Mike Herrelle (LU) 7-5, 3-6, 10-8
6. Kip Kahler (LU) def. Will Bezy (BA) 6-1, 6-1