Golden Eagles bid for team's fifth OVC title since 1990

PADUCAH, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech men's tennis team will play for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship Sunday morning after mowing down Murray State in the semifinals Saturday at the Lone Oak Tennis Center in Paducah.

Tech, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will meet top-seeded Eastern Kentucky at 10 a.m., with the winner capturing the league's automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament.

Tech is bidding for its sixth OVC tournament championship overall and its fifth since 1990. The Golden Eagles won in 1990 and 1999, then captured two this decade with tourney wins in 2003 and 2004.

Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, is looking to win its first OVC tournament title since 1951.

On Saturday, Murray State grabbed a 1-0 lead by claiming the doubles point with wins at the top two positions. Tech's Arturo Santa Ruiz and Oscar Pachon (pictured) claimed an 9-3 win at No. 3 doubles.

Once singles play got underway, coach Kenny Doyle's squad posted straight set wins at four spots to clinch the match.

Alex Chen downed Ben Clos, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles and Josh Girling earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 2 over Jorge Caetano. The No. 5 match went to Santa Ruiz, 6-3, 6-3, over Nathan Johnson, and Pachon downed Jose Berardo, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 6.

The No. 3 and No. 4 singles matches went unfinished after the Golden Eagles had clinched the win.

EKU defeated Austin Peay Saturday, 4-0, to advance to the title match.