Tuesday, 04/19/2011

Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) has been named the South Atlantic Conference men’s tennis Player of the Week, league officials announced Monday. Patchell earns the honor for the second time this season.

Patchell won both of his matches as the Bulldogs rallied for a 5-4 win over Brevard to finish the SAC regular season 9-0 overall. The victory clinched Wingate’s second SAC title in three years. Patchell teamed with junior Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) for a 9-7 win over Brevard’s duo of Sam MacNeil and Cole Altizer in number two doubles. Patchell took the court in singles action with the Bulldogs trailing 4-2. He notched a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Altizer to start Wingate’s rally.

Patchell is 12-5 in singles action this year, while holding an 8-1 mark against league opponents. He has won nine of his last 10 matches. Patchell is 15-4 in doubles play on the year, with 14 of those wins coming at the number two doubles flight.

The 39th-ranked Bulldogs have won 12 consecutive matches. They are 16-3 overall after going undefeated in SAC play. The top seed in this week’s Food Lion SAC tournament, Wingate receives an opening round bye. The Bulldogs will take on the winner of the Lincoln Memorial University-Mars Hill College match Thursday morning at 9 a.m.