Photo by Charlie Quigg '09 Sophomore Geoff Schwartz (shown) teamed with senior Lenny Lepner for a pair of doubles victories this weekend.

No. 21 Jeffs Edged at Bowdoin, Best Bates

April 2, 2006

BRUNSWICK, ME & LEWISTON, ME - The 21st-ranked Amherst College men’s tennis team suffered a narrow 4-3 loss at Bowdoin College on Saturday, but bounced back to earn a 5-2 victory at Bates College on Sunday to move to 9-3 on the season.

Senior Jon Godsall (Toronto, ON) and rookie Zach Lerner (Scarsdale, NY) won both of their respective singles matches on the weekend, while senior Lenny Lepner (Tartu, Estonia) and sophomore Geoff Schwartz (Dallas, TX) posted a 2-0 record in doubles play.

Saturday’s matchup at Bowdoin was a thriller throughout. Despite losing the doubles point (2-1), the Jeffs rallied to tie the match 3-3 as Godsall, Lerner and sophomore Jeff Wan (Staten Island, NY) posted wins at No. 4, 5 and 6 singles. Amherst senior co-captain Josh Rilla (Westboro, MA) suffered a hard-fought, 7-5, 7-6 (7) loss at No. 1 singles, while sophomore Michael Mintz (New York, NY) took his match at No. 3 to three sets before bowing out. The No. 2 singles match between Lepner and Bowdoin’s Garrett Gates was a battle as Lepner took the first set, but was edged in the second, 7-6 (3), and the third, 7-5.

On Sunday, the Jeffs took five of six singles matches to secure the victory. Lepner, Mintz, Godsall, Lerner and sophomore Tal Avrahami (Riverdale, NY) all posted straight-set victories in the win. Rilla nearly completed the sweep, but was nipped in the third set by 2005 NESCAC Tournament runner-up Will Boe-Wiegaard, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.

Amherst returns to action Saturday at sixth-ranked Williams College at 1 p.m.

Bowdoin 4 – Amherst 3
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Sam Bitetti (Bow.) def. Josh Rilla (7-5, 7-6 (7))
2. Garrett Gates (Bow.) def. Lenny Lepner (3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5)
3. Alex White (Bow.) def. Mike Mintz (6-4, 2-6, 6-3)
4. Jon Godsall (Amh.) def. Alex Caughron (7-5, 2-6, 6-3)
5. Zach Lerner (Amh.) def. Drew McDonald (6-3, 6-3)
6. Jeff Wan (Amh.) def. Noah Buntman (3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2))

DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Gates/Bitetti (Bow.) def. Rilla/Godsall (8-2)
2. White/Caughron (Bow.) def. Avrahami/Wan (8-3)
3. Lepner/Geoff Schwartz (Amh.) def. McDonald/Andrew Fried (8-4)

Amherst 5 – Bates 2
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Will Boe-Wiegaard (Bat.) def. Josh Rilla (6-3, 5-7, 7-5)
2. Lenny Lepner (Amh.) def. Greg Little (6-4, 6-2)
3. Mike Mintz (Amh.) def. Mike Sherman (6-3, 6-2)
4. Jon Godsall (Amh.) def. Ben Stein (7-5, 6-2)
5. Zach Lerner (Amh.) def. Pat Conway (6-2, 6-2)
6. Tal Avrahami (Amh.) def. Josh Feinberg (7-5, 7-6 (2))

DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Boe-Wiegaard/Tristan Beach (Bat.) def. Rilla/Lerner (8-2)
2. Little/Feinberg (Bat.) def. Mintz/Godsall (9-7)
3. Lepner/Geoff Schwartz (Amh.) def. Conway/Stein (8-4)