ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Macalester College men's tennis team played a MIAC dual at Bethel University on Friday at Ona Orth Athletic Complex. The dual came down to the final match, with the Royals winning, 5-4. The Scots are now 8-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play, while Bethel improves to 14-5, 7-1 MIAC.

In doubles, seniors Liam Lynch (St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy) and Alec Sargent (Rochester, Minn./Rochester Century) defeated Watson Sheard and Carter Sheard, 8-5 at No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Kangyu Li (Shanghai, China/Shanghai Southwest Weiyu) and first year Beckett Annes (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) downed Zach Bengtson and Robert Seaton in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-5) at No. 3 doubles to put the Scots on top, 2-1.

In singles play, Macalester lost matches at second, sixth and fourth singles to trail, 4-2 and put Bethel on the brink of victory. Senior Owen Lindstrom (Hanover, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) came through at No. 5 singles with a win over Ryan Reid, 6-4, 6-4, and Lynch outlasted Zach Chaffey, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 at No. 3 singles to tie the score at 4-4. Sargent and Carter Sheard went to a 10-point tie-breaker in the deciding match at No. 1 singles, with Sargent fighting off match point three times before Sheard secured the win, 6-3, 2-6, 10-7.

Macalester closes out the regular season on Saturday, April 26 with a MIAC dual against St. Olaf at home. The Scots need a win to have a chance to make the MIAC Playoffs. The first matches start at 2:30 p.m. at Hayden Tennis Courts.