Claremont, Calif. - Sophomore Chris Wiechert (Eugene, Ore.) and junior Max Sabel (Sun Valley, Idaho - pictured) each won three-set singles matches, but top-ranked Amherst was able to earn a 7-2 win over Pomona-Pitzer on Friday at Pauley Courts.
The loss drops Pomona-Pitzer to 7-7 on the year, with 12 of their 14 matches coming against top 25 opponents. Amherst improves to 15-1 on the year.
Wiechert was pushed to the brink, as he took the first set 6-3, and fell 7-5 in the second set to level the match at 1-1. Since the team match was already decided, the third set went to an extended tiebreaker format (first to 10 points wins), and Wiechert edged out Joey Fritz with an 11-9 win in the tiebreaker after fighting off a match point on Fritz' serve.
The singles win marks 11 straight for Wiechert, who has not lost since Feb. 24 to sixth-ranked Kenyon's Michael Razumovsky at the ITA Indoor Nationals, a loss he avenged last week at home. Ten of his 11 wins during his streak have come against nationally ranked foes, as he is now 11-2 this spring (the other loss was to Azusa Pacific, the fourth-ranked team in NAIA, back on Feb. 4).
Sabel also went three sets at No. 3, as he dropped the first set to Andrew Jung 6-4, but then rallied for a 6-2 win in the second set and a dominant 10-5 win in the tiebreaker.
Amherst took a 3-0 lead after the doubles competition, with Sabel and doubles partner Frankie Allinson (Waco, Texas) putting up a fierce battle at No. 2. Sabel and Allinson broke to stay in the match and went to a tiebreaker, where they fell behind 4-0. They fought off two match points to get back within 6-5, but Amherst finally connected on the winning point to take a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker and a 3-0 lead after doubles.
Amherst took a one-set lead at five of the six singles courts, with only Wiechert (6-2) able to earn a first set win for the Sagehens. Sabel, though, was able to rally to even the match at No. 3 singles, while Wiechert stumbled in the second set. The match was already decided at that point, with the Lord Jeffs holding a 7-0 lead, but both Wiechert and Sabel were able to pull out the singles wins to make the final score 7-2.
Pomona-Pitzer will be back in action on Thursday when Middlebury visits for a 4 p.m. contest.
Amherst 7, Pomona-Pitzer 2
Doubles
1. Luis Rattenhuber/Austin Chavetz (AC) def. Tommy Meyer/Uday Singh 8-3
2. Chris Dale/Mark Kahan (AC) def. Max Sabel/Frankie Allinson 9-8 (5)
3. Robert Sorrel/Wesley Waterman (AC) def. Chris Wiechert/Alex Groth 8-3
Singles
1. Mark Kahan (AC) def. Tommy Meyer 6-1, 6-4
2. Chris Wiechert (PP) def. Joey Fritz 6-3, 5-7, 11-9
3. Max Sabel (PP) def. Andrew Jung 4-6, 6-2, 10-5
4. Wesley Watterman (AC) def. Frankie Allinson 6-1, 6-0
5. Chris Dale (AC) def. Connor Hudson 6-3, 7-5
6. Eli Mlaver (AC) def. Uday Singh 6-1, 6-4
