GRINNELL, Iowa – One day after losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Wheaton in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener, the Augustana men's tennis team dropped an 8-1 decision to regionally ranked Grinnell 8-1 on Sunday, April 12 in Grinnell, Iowa. The loss to the Pioneers came to a team that is currently ranked 17^th in the Central Region of NCAA Division III.
 
The freshman duo of Samuel Totten (Normal University HS, Normal, Ill.) and Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) picked up Augustana's lone victory with a 9-8 win over Elliott Czarnecki and Tommy Pitcher at number one.
 
Both of the other doubles matches were close with juniors Harald Olsson (Hersby Gymnasium, Stockholm, Sweden) and Austin Schoeck (Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.) dropping an 8-5 decision at number two to Tracy Johnson and Emelio Gomez. Sophomore Connor Woolf (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) and junior Patrick Lenz (Villanova Prep, Ojai, Calif.) fell to C.J. Ray and Cole Miller 9-7 at number three.
 
Totten and Pohl each went to three sets in singles. Totten fell to Czarneck at number one singles 7-5; 5-7; 10-5 and Pohl lost to Miller 2-6; 6-2; 10-5 at number two.
 
Gomez beat Lenz 6-1; 6-0 at number three and Aaron Lapkin defeated Woolf 7-5; 6-1 at number four. Schoeck lost to Johnson 6-2; 6-1 at number five and Olsson lost to Charlie Wilhelm 6-1; 6-1 at number six.
 
Augustana, now 8-10 overall, will play at Illinois Wesleyan on Tuesday, April 14 at 4:00 p.m. in Bloomington, Illinois.