MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Freshman Nicolas Vinel provided the clinching singles victory as Virginia Commonwealth University scored a 4-3 win over Mississippi State Saturday in the finale of the Blue Gray Classic at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center.

VCU improves to 11-6 with the victory. MSU is 5-8.

With the match knotted at 3-all, Vinel managed to hold off Antonio Lastre for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 triumph on the No. 3 court. The victory halted the Rams’ two-match losing streak.

The Black and Gold trailed, 3-2, in the match, but pulled even when senior Emil Lindgren dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision on Louis Cant at the No. 4 position.

Freshman Filip Svensson and junior Thibaut Charron also posted singles wins to lift VCU.

The Rams return to action on Friday, March 27 when they meet seventh-ranked Baylor in Waco, Tex.

VCU 4, MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
Doubles
1. Doerr/Stump (MSU) d. Bouhana/Lindgren, 8-6
2. Farlow/Lastre (MSU) d. Charron/Delemark, 9-8
3. Schulhauser/Vinel (VCU) d. Cant/IIyushin, 8-6
Order of Finish: Doubles – 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Thibaut Charron (VCU) d. Ryan Farlow, 6-3, 6-4
2. Artem Ilyshin (MSU) d. Martin Schulhauser, 6-4, 6-4
3. Nicolas Vinel (VCU) d. Antonio Lastre, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
4. Emil Lindgren (VCU) d. Louis Cant, 6-4, 6-4
5. Bobo Delemark (MSU) d. Emil Lindgren, 6-3, 6-2
6. Filip Svensson (VCU) d. Max Gregor Smith, 6-1, 6-4
Singles – 6, 1, 2, 5, 4, 3