Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STILLWATER, Okla. – It was a tough start to the 2018 season for the Lamar University men's tennis team dropping both matches of a doubleheader. LU fell to Bryant University, 5-2, in the morning match and dropped a 7-0 decision to No. 15 Oklahoma State in the afternoon match. Both matches were played at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
 
"We got off to slow starts at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles and in half of the singles matches against Bryant, and we couldn't overcome that," said LU head coach Scott Shankles. "Bryant has experienced players and they put that experience on showcase. They played smart and made good decisions all match long.
 
"We have a young team, but I was impressed with how hard we continued to fight and never got overwhelmed. When you have such a young squad there are going to be moments of growing pains, but we can take what happened today and grow from it," added Shankles.
 
Bryant took wins at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles, respectively, to take the opening lead of the match and never trailed. The Cardinals were in the hunt for their first victory of the morning at No. 2 doubles as the team of junior Sebastian Santibanez and freshman Arthur Serafim were locked in a tight battle with Bryant's Jorge Ortiz-Garcia and Jorge Isaias Ortiz. Unfortunately, the match was halted at 4-4 when the other matches decided the outcome of the doubles point.
 
The Cardinals jumped on the scoreboard at No. 6 singles when freshman Roy Stepanov defeated Bryant's Isaias Ortiz in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. Unfortunately for Big Red, the team victory had already been decided as the Bulldogs opened singles play with wins at Nos. 4, 1 and 2 singles, respectively.
 
The Cardinals were locked in close battles on courts 2 and 3 but things just didn't break their way Sunday. Santibanez pushed the Bulldogs Luke Lorenz to a tiebreak in the opening set before falling by two, 7-6 (7-5). Santibanez was unable to recover in the second set dropping a 6-2 decision.
 
Freshman Nicolas Mayr took his match to three sets before being edged out by Bryant's Doug Wilson. Mayr was forced to play from behind after dropping the opening set, 6-4, on court 3. The first set loss seemed to settle the Cards' rookie down as he responded with 6-4 decision in the second to force a deciding third set. Mayr came up just short in the third falling by the same score.
 
The Cardinals tacked on the final point of the day when freshman Carlos Paton Canal defeated Guido Argentini in three sets at No. 5 singles. Paton Canal's victory gave LU wins in two of the three matches that went to a third set.
 
The Cardinals return to action Friday when they host Denver. The match will begin at 1 p.m. from the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
-LU CARDINALS-