April 17, 2011

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University men's tennis team defeated surprise title participant and host Augusta State, 5-1, to capture its seventh straight Peach Belt Conference tournament title on Sunday afternoon at the Newman Tennis Center in Augusta.

The Pirates (24-0) ended the Jaguars' (16-8) cinderella run through the men's bracket as Augusta State, the seventh seed, was making its first-ever appearance in the PBC Tournament championship match. Armstrong's current streak of seven straight tournament titles began in 2005.

Augusta State rode the emotion of the home crowd to take early leads in two of the three doubles matches. Armstrong's top-ranked duo of Rafael Array and Mikk Irdoja claimed an 8-0 win over No. 13-ranked Henrique Boturao and Bernardo Fernandes at No. 1 singles, but the Jaguars' Maxime Couloumb and Jenner Stevenson knocked off Eudaldo Bonet and Daniel Regan, 8-6, at No. 3 doubles. 2011 PBC Tournament doubles MVPs Matus Mydla and Pedro Scocuglia rallied from a break down to defeat Victor Cabellos and Victor Guimaraes, 8-6, at No. 2 doubles.

Armstrong then clinched the match and the tournament title with three straight-set singles wins. Regan collected a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jan Labas at No. 5 singles, then 2011 PBC Tournament singles MVP and top-ranked Bonet beat Botruao, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 2 singles. No. 4-ranked Irdoja clinched the match with a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 22-ranked Fernandes at No. 1 singles.

The Pirates earn the Peach Belt's automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Division II Tennis Championships and will be next in action hosting one of two NCAA Southeast Regionals on May 1-3 at Bacon Park in Savannah.