Feb. 15, 2013

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Charlotte rallied back after dropping the doubles point and used Tyler Baker's 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over Danielle Terpko in a No. 4 singles match to earn a 4-3 non-conference win over East Carolina Friday afternoon at the ECU Tennis Complex.

The 49ers, who won for the fourth-straight time, improved to 6-1 with the triumph while the setback dropped the Pirates' record to 4-2.

In addition to bouncing back from a first-set loss, Baker survived five match-point serves in the second set before outlasting Terpko in what proved to be the clincher. Moments earlier, ECU's Neena Wanko used three sets to dismiss Natsuko Takayanagi 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to even the match at 3-3.

ECU used victories by tandems Dana Gray and Terpko at the No. 3 position and Abby Richmond and Wanko at No. 2 to capture the doubles point and establish an early 1-0 edge. Gray and Terpko upped their record to 2-0 this spring after posting an 8-2 win over Baker and Jessica Pérez, while Richmond and Wanko downed Takayanagi and Alexandra Zinn 8-4 for their first pairs triumph of the season.

Junior Melis Tanik opened singles play by defeating Lisa Grosselius 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 to push the Pirate lead to 2-0 before the 49ers tallied three consecutive victories at the No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6 slots for a 3-2 edge and set the stage for the pair of three-set affairs.

East Carolina's four-match homestand will continue next Friday (Feb. 22) when the Pirates face Campbell at 1 p.m.

CHARLOTTE 4, EAST CAROLINA 3
Singles Play
No. 1 - Alexandra Zinn (CHA) def. Yilian Zhang (ECU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Neena Wanko (ECU) def. Natsuko Takayanagi (CHA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 - Melis Tanik (ECU) def. Lisa Grosselius (CHA) 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 - Tyler Baker (CHA) def. Danielle Terpko (ECU) 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
No. 5 - Anna Ekelund (CHA) def. Abby Richmond (ECU) 6-3, 6-0
No. 6 - Iveta Guneva (CHA) def. Dana Gray (ECU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Ekelund/Grosselius (CHA) def. Tanik/Zhang (ECU) 8-1
No. 2 - Richmond/Wanko (ECU) def. Takayanagi/Zinn (CHA) 8-4
No. 3 - Gray/Terpko (ECU) def. Baker/Jessica Pérez (CHA) 8-2
Team Records: Charlotte 6-1, East Carolina 4-2