SALEM, Va. – The Bridgewater College men's tennis team fell to Roanoke in a 5-4 thriller on Tuesday
 
Bridgewater opened the math with a pair of wins in doubles action. Corey Beshoar and Bryce Cline hopped out to a 2-0 lead at the No. 3 spot and never looked back on the way to an 8-4 victory. At the No. 2 slot, Noah Hughes and Matthew Leonard fell behind 3-4 righting the ship on the way to an 8-6 win to put BC ahead 2-1 heading to singles play.
 
The Maroons opened up by taking wins at the top two spots to jump ahead in the match score, but a straight-set 6-4, 6-3 win by Gabe Elder at the No. 4 spot evened the score. At the No. 3 slot Mark Gordon dropped a tight opening set 4-6 before storming in front by the tune of a 5-0 lead in set number two. Gordon won the stanza 6-2 to force a deciding third set. Gordon got ahead 1-0 in the third but ultimately fell 2-6.
 
Hughes kept the Eagles' hopes alive with a 6-4, 6-1 win at the No. 5 spot meaning the match came down to the all-important No. 6 singles. Cline dropped the opening frame 3-6 and trailed 1-4 in the second before the senior relied on his experience to rattle off three games in a row to get it to 4-4. The Maroons got back on the board and then darkness settled in. The two teams made the quick trip to the Salem Civic Center tennis courts where Roanoke got the late service break to clinch the match 4-6.
 
The Eagles are right back at it tomorrow as they host Olivet at 3 p.m.