SAINT LEO, Fla. -- Eighth-ranked Saint Leo handed No. 2 Armstrong Atlantic its second consecutive loss, downing the Pirates by a 6-3 decision on Monday morning. The win marks the biggest national ranking victory in the Lions' history and advances their record to 4-2 on the season. The Pirates drop to a mark of 2-2, marking the first time Armstrong has dropped two consecutive matches since 2007.
It was an epic battle of endurance as the Lions and Pirates faced adversity and weather delays in a match that began at 10 a.m. and didn't come to a close until 3:15 p.m. with the Lions clinching the key win.
Saint Leo took two of three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead heading into singles play. The Lions fell at No. 1 doubles as Pablo Gor and Jaan Kononov defeated Aloua Adjenak and Fons Verberne 8-3, but won at No. 3 doubles as Ismail Lemtouni and Bruno Sisti defeated Ignacio Hernandez and Luca Cerin 8-1.
The Lions then took the pivotal point at No. 2 doubles as Matt Nicholson-Lewis and Victor Lozier edged Pedro Scocuglia and Damian Okrutny 8-6.
Saint Leo then clinched the match by winning four of six singles flights. Saint Leo won at No. 2 singles as Adjenak beat No. 10-ranked Gor 6-3, 6-2 as well as No. 4 singles as No. 50-ranked Lemtouni defeated No. 20-ranked Herenandez 6-1, 6-3. The Lions also notched a three-set win at No. 5 singles as Lozier beat Cerin 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, and Jacobo Gonzalez Tarrio closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-3 win versus Okrutny at No. 6 singles.
Armstrong's singles points came at No. 1 singles as No. 9-ranked Scocuglia beat Nicholson-Lewis 7-6 (4), 6-1, as well as No. 3 singles as No. 39-ranked Kononov blanked Oskar Nurmio 6-0, 6-0.
