Jumbos jump all over Seahawks for 9-0 win

NEWPORT, R.I. - The defending The Commonwealth Coast Conference champion got its new season underway with a non-league match hosting Tufts University, but Salve Regina University men's tennis got swept by the visiting Jumbos on a sunny soon-to-be fall afternoon in Newport.

The Tufts squad, featuring five newcomers in the lineup, swept the doubles matches in reverse order, with Matt Pataro and Zack Ludwig earning the first point at No. 3 doubles with an 8-0 win over Seahawk newcomers James Diamantopoulos [West Yarmouth, Mass.] and Patrick Suprunowicz [Thornton, N.H.].

Veteran Seahawks Brian Castrichini [Winchester, Mass.] and Aaron Isch [Tolland, Conn.] earned a break of serve in the eighth game of their pro set but it was too little too late as Austin Blau and Tony Carucci took the match, 8-1.

Salve Regina's top doubles pair of Zachary Rosenfeld [Easton, Conn.] and Chad Strong [San Diego, Calif.], winners in their last competition against St. Joseph's in first-round NCAA action last spring, battled Tufts top pair of Paul Kohnstamm and Pat Monaghan. The match featured breaks on both sides and was on serve at 5-all. Monaghan held in the final game with a couple of service winners.

In singles action, Strong won more games than any other Seahawk but the host school went down in straight sets in all six matches. Salve Regina (0-1) will travel to Coast Guard on Sept. 28.