Springfield, Mass. — October 17, 2011 — The Springfield College women’s tennis team lost a heartbreaker, 5-4, to Endicott College this afternoon on a sunshiny day at SC’s Appleton Courts.
With the win, Endicott upped its record to 12-1. Springfield ended its season at 3-8.
It was Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the Springfield courts.
After doubles play, Springfield led 2-1. Three of the six singles matches then went three sets, including the final and deciding match at No. 6 singles.
The match had its ebbs and flows. At No. 4, junior Vanessa Senecal (Seekonk, Mass.) put SC up by a score of 3-1 as she was the first to step off the singles courts. She won her match in straight sets at 6-3, 6-3.
But that was quickly followed up with a straight sets win by Endicott freshman Natalie Egbert (Gorham, Me.), 6-4, 6-4, at No. 5.
At No. 1 singles, senior Kate Cioffi (Essex, Vt.) consistently frustrated SC junior Sam Carney Franklin, Mass.), coming back from being down 5-2 in the first set to win 7-6 (3), 6-2. And that tied the overall team score at 3-all.
On the remaining three courts, Endicott was up a set on each, and it was seemingly a race to see which two could finish it up first.
But things took a turn for SC on all three, and the Pride won all three of those second sets under the lights.
Endicott righted the ship first at No. 3 as freshman Amy Heacox (Marion, Mass.) won her match, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2. Springfield now needed to win the final two — and for a moment towards the bitter end, it seemed it might do just that.
First at No. 2 singles, SC sophomore Jen Cleary (Nahant, Mass.) fought all the way back to win her match, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. It was 4-4 in the third set, when SC sophomore Sydney Streimer (Mystic, Conn.) pulled out in front, 5-4, in her third set at No. 6.
Of those two matches, Cleary won her final two games to capture her third set. And team score was now all tied at 4-all.
But on Court No. 6, Endicott junior Gina Pinciaro (Beverly, Mass.) was putting on a rally of her own, pulling ahead in the third set, 6-5. Pinciaro then took that final game, winning four of the final five points to win it all for the Gulls.
Final Score — Endicott 5, Springfield 4
Doubles
1) Sam Carney/Jen Cleary (SC def. Kate Cioffi/Emily Annis (E), 8-2
2) Sydney Streimer/Vanessa Senecal (SC) def. Laura MacLeod/Natalie Egbert (E), 8-3
3) Emilie Cloutier/Amy Heacox (E) def. Erin Woodbury/Siana Green (SC), 8-3
Singles
1) Cioffi (E) def. Carney (SC), 7-6 (3), 6-2
2) Cleary (SC) def. Cloutier (E), 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
3) Heacox (E) def. Woodbury (SC), 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2
4) Senecal (SC) def. Annis (E), 6-3, 6-3
5) Egbert (E) def. Green (SC), 6-4, 6-4
6) Gina Pinciaro (E) def. Streimer (SC), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Records Following the Match:
Springfield: 3-8
Endicott: 12-1
