HARRISONBURG, Va. (March 18, 2012) – The Red Flash men's tennis team posted a 1-2 mark as it resumed its season last weekend.  Saint Francis earned its first Northeast Conference victory of the spring, downing Robert Morris, 4-3, on Saturday before falling to Mount St. Mary's and James Madison.

In Saturday's win over the Colonials, SFU started strong by clinching the doubles point to go up 1-0.  Nate Fleming (Gas City, Ind./Missossonewa) and Andres Rosa (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Colegio la Piedad) carried the no. 1 position with a dominant 8-2 showing as Sergio Carvajal (Nueva Esparta, Venezuela/U.E. Fray Elias Maria Sendra) and Chris Jimenez (Bayside, N.Y./St. Francis Preparatory) took the no. 2 spot with a tighter, 9-7, score.

Fleming and Rosa successfully wielded the nos. 1 and 2 racquets to open singles play and put the Flash up 3-0.  The Colonials, however, won the next two points to transform a comfortable lead into a one-point match.

Any question of the outcome was put to rest at the no. 5 position, which saw Jimenez post a convincing, 6-1, 6-3, win to seal the SFU victory.

Home-standing Mount St. Mary's reversed the script on the Red Flash in its next match, earning a 4-3 win over SFU.  The Mountaineers earned the doubles point, although Lawson Barter (Chicago, Ill./Loyola) and Juan Pardo (Bogota, Colombia/Colegio Andino) took the no. 3 position, 8-3.

After Mount St. Mary's won the first two singles decisions, Carvajal staved off the eventual outcome with a strong, 6-0, 6-2, victory at the no. 4 spot.  MSM clinched the team win in the next match, but the Flash finished strong with win from Jimenez and Pardo.

On Sunday, SFU struggled to a, 6-1, loss to a formidable James Madison team.  Barter picked up the only point of the day for the Flash in the no. 4 position.

The Red Flash returns to action on Saturday when it visits La Salle for a 1 p.m. match.