Box Score

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University men's tennis coach Jeff Halberg will be the first to admit that, when his Cardinals have been involved in a close match, luck has not been on his team's side.

In fact, where it not for bad luck, the Cardinals wouldn't have any luck at all.

Four times this season, SMU has been on the short end of a 5-4 decision.

And Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals were involved in No. 5.

On this time, the ball finally bounced the Cardinals' way.

SMU picked up three singles wins — including a pair of three-setters at No. 1 and No. 5 — and got wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles en route to a 5-4 victory over Macalester at the SMU Tennis Center.

"It was a great day of tennis for us," said Halberg, whose women's team made it a clean sweep of the Scots in almost identical fashion, posting a 5-4 win of their own. "The guys finally pulled out a close one — and it was well deserved. We had some real battles at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, and at No. 1 doubles, but the guys hung tough and got the job done."

Tyler Stevenson (Neenah, Wis.) was involved in two of SMU's nailbiters, posting a 2-6, 6-1, 10-6 win at No. 1 singles, then teaming with Mark Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.) for a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles. Dan Fahey (Brookfield, Wis.) also rallied from a set down to pull out a 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 win at No. 5 singles, while Leeder breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2. Tony Miller (Rochester, Minn.) and Ryan Kennedy (Rochester, Minn.) picked up SMU's other win at No. 2 doubles, where they won 8-3.

On the women's side, SMU got straight-set singles wins from Ann Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.), Angie Beissel (Hastings, Minn.) and Becky Newby (Brookfield, Wis.), and doubles victories from Beissel-Michele Clarke (Omaha, Neb.) and Leeder-Aubrey Hirsch (Topeka, Kan.).

"This was a big win for the women," said Halberg, whose teams have now both won two straight matches. "It was a seesaw battle the whole way, but everyone hung tough. Michele and Angie really came up with a big win at No. 1 doubles, it was the type of win that sparked everyone else on. It was a great win."