By outreach@cw.ua.edu (Ben Boynton)
The match started out well for the Crimson Tide, as it took the doubles point on the road in Starkville, Mississippi. However, No. 24 Mississippi State rallied and ended up handing the Crimson Tide a 5-2 loss Sunday night.
The loss puts Alabama at 14-11 overall and 5-6 in the SEC heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Bulldogs took the first match of doubles play, with a 6-2 win over sophomore Matthew Rossouw and freshman Spencer Richey on court three. Alabama won on court two with senior Becker O’Shaughnessey and sophomore Grayson Goldin earning a 6-2 win. The Crimson Tide claimed the doubles point when freshman Mazen Osama and sophomore Korey Lovett came back from a 5-3 deficit to win 7-5.
In singles play, both teams took three first sets each. Rossouw won his fifth consecutive match and gave Alabama a 2-0 lead with his 6-2, 6-4 win on court five. After that, it was all Mississippi State. O’Shaughnessey fell 6-3, 6-4 on court three and Richey lost 7-5, 6-2 to tie it up at 2-2.
The Bulldogs then took the lead with a three-set win on court one, besting Lovett 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-1. The match was then clinched on court six with sophomore Danny Kerznerman’s three-set loss, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Finally, Mazen Osama lost a long three-set match on court one, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 10-8 in a super tiebreaker.
Next up for Alabama is its final regular season match on April 17 against Vanderbilt. O’Shaughnessey will be recognized as a part of Senior Day before the match begins at 1 p.m. CT.
Source:: The Crimson White Sports
