Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.- Leading 6-1, it looked as if the top-ranked NAIA men's doubles team of Deni Zmak & Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios was about to roll to 16-4 on the season.
However, David Veliz & Gelawdiyos Haile had other ideas. The Fire tandem rallied back to make it a 7-4 match, but found themselves down love-40. The Eagles had three chances to end the match, but couldn't.
Eventually, Veliz & Haile came away with a 9-7 victory to earn the lone point of a 5-1 loss to #2 Embry-Riddle in a match that was shortened due to weather conditions.
"It's difficult to rally back against any opponent when you're down 6-1 and 7-4, love-40," said coach Bill May. "I think it started small, and once we got a little momentum, (Embry-Riddle) may have panicked a little bit when it got tight.
"David and Gelawdiyos are tremendous players. Mentally they're tough and physically, they are tremendously gifted," said May.
With temperatures hovering near 50, and winds approaching 20 miles per hour, the match was stopped once one team had won five matches.
The Fire next take on Warner University on Tuesday.
RESULTS
Doubles
#1 David Veliz & Gelawdiyos Haile (SEU) def. Deni Zmak & Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios 9-7
#2 Carlos Becke & Fabian Zierleyn (ERAU) def. Jordan Harris & Patrick Kearney 8-2
#3 Miguel Lopez-Gomez & Luke de Caires (ERAU) def. Drew Dickens & Aaron Skingley 8-2
Singles
#1 David Veliz vs. Deni Zmak DNF (4-6, 0-1)
#2 Gelawdiyos Haile vs. Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios DNF (5-6)
#3 Carlos Becke (ERAU) def. Jordan Harris 6-0, 6-0
#4 Fabian Zierleyn (ERAU) def. Drew Dickens 6-0, 6-2
#5 Aaron Skingley vs. Miguel Lopez-Gomez DNF
#6 Rofolfo Arreyque (ERAU) def. Nate Gangelhoff 6-2, 6-0
