LAKELAND â€" Florida Southern got a straight-set win from Carl Lundberg at #5 singles, but Embry-Riddle used two tight wins in doubles and three of its own straight-set singles wins to defeat the Moccasins 6-1 in a rain-shortened match Wednesday afternoon.
The Eagles (5-1) came into the match ranked #2 in this week’s new national NAIA poll and earned their second straight win over a top-25 Division II team from the Sunshine State Conference. After an 8-2 win in the third doubles flight, the Eagles were able to pull out a pair 8-6 wins at the top two doubles positions.
Holding a 3-0 lead at that point, Embry-Riddle won the first three singles matches that were completed before Lundberg defeated JR Leonik, 6-2, 6-0. The final two singles matches weren’t completed before the rain hit, including the top-flight match between Benoit Paradis and Chris Freeman.
Freeman, the top-ranked individual in the NAIA rankings, had defeated Paradis 6-2 in the first set, but Paradis came back to win the second, 6-3.
The Moccasins fell to 0-5 with the loss, with all five of those matches against top-20 Division II or NAIA programs. They’ll face another one this weekend when they travel to Boca Raton to face #5 Lynn University, Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
