SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Roger Williams University Men's Tennis team opened the 2008-09 season with a 6-3 win over Springfield College in a match played both outdoors and indoors this afternoon on the Springfield College campus.

The match got underway outdoors on the Appleton Courts. The doubles competition had just completed, and the singles competition was just beginning to heat up, when the rains started to dampen the courts. RWU was leading, 2-1, at the time. Thus, for the second straight day, the brand new Springfield College Field House, opened for less than a month, hosted tennis, with the remainder of the singles matches moving inside.

At No. 1 doubles, the Springfield team of Constant and fellow senior Bobby Schlink (Quaker Hill, Conn.) defeated the RWU crew of senior Brad Bolte (Regional Augusta, N.J.) and freshman Ryang Kim (Port Washington, N.Y.), 8-3. At No. 2 doubles, the Hawks' tandem of sophomore Dan Kleitz (Wethersfield, Conn.) and junior Kyle Baker (Bolton, Conn.) defeated SC junior Tim Tunis (Sudbury, Mass.) and freshman Zach O'Leary (Westboro, Mass.), 8-6. And at No. 3 doubles, the RWU duo of senior Jeff Agonia (Lincoln, R.I.) and freshman Spencer Withington (Plymouth, Mass.) proved victorious over the SC duo of junior Phil O'Sullivan (Old Greenwich, Conn.) and freshman Yves Singletary (Boston, Mass.), 8-4.

Indoors, the Pride at first gained a 2-1 advantage with the play of the top three singles players, tying the match overall at 3-3. Constant defeated Bolte, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1. Tunis defeated Baker, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 3. But RWU's Kim edged Schlink in a good match, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2.

Thus, it all came down to #4 through 6 singles, and this is where the Hawks really came through with a sweep. At No. 5, Withington defeated sophomore Mike McGee (Pawtucket, R.I.), 6-4, 6-2. At No 6, freshman Kevin Erikson (Tolland, Conn.) defeated sophomore Eric Henne (Bristol, Conn.), 6-2, 6-4. And at No. 4, Kleitz took down O'Leary, 6-4, 6-2.

Results

Doubles

#1 Constant/Schlink (SC) def. Bolte/Kim (RWU), 8-3

#2 Baker/Kleitz (RWU) def. O'Leary/Tunis (SC), 8-6

#3 Agonia/Withington (RWU) def. Phil O'Sullivan/Yves Singletary (SC), 8-4

Singles

#1 Andrew Constant (SC) def. Brad Bolte (RWU), 6-2, 6-2

#2 Ryang Kim (RWU) def. Bobby Schlink (SC), 6-3, 6-4

#3 Tim Tunis (SC) def. Kyle Baker (RWU), 6-0, 6-3

#4 Dan Kleitz (RWU) def. Zach O'Leary (SC), 6-4, 6-2

#5 Spencer Withington (RWU) def. Mike McGee (SC), 6-4, 6-2

#6 Kevin Erickson (RWU) def. Eric Henne (SC), 6-2, 6-4

Records:

Roger Williams -- 1-0

Springfield -- 0-1

- Release courtesy of the Springfield College Sports Information Department