Gophers Pin 7-2 Setback on Unbeaten Yellow Jackets

TOWSON, Md. — It took three players to come back during the singles competition to win after dropping the first set of their match for Goucher to put the finishing touches on a 7-2 victory over Randolph-Macon today.

The Gophers (5-4) swept the three doubles matches, but their 3-0 lead hardly felt secure when the Yellow Jackets (5-1) won the opening set in four of the six singles matches. The first of the six to conclude was No. 1 where Kelsie Grice knocked off Alex Walsh (Greens Farm, Conn./Staples) 6-1, 6-1.

Next to finish was No. 3 and Emily Ruff (Easton, Md./Easton) put Goucher up 4-1 with her 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Molly Jesseman.

Alice Goldstein-Plesser (Durham, N.C./Durham School of the Arts) earned the point that sewed up the match for Goucher when she rallied for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Hannah Trueblood at No. 5.

Kirsten Cianci (Bolton, Conn./Bolton) and Leigh Oehrig (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) accounted for the other two victories in singles play for the Gophers. Cianci, stationed at No. 4 in the singles lineup, battled back to defeat Sarah Hinson 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, and Oehrig was a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (3) winner over Jordan Poehler at No. 6.

The Gophers improved to 20-18 in doubles play this season by winning all three matches for the third time. At No. 1, Walsh and Cianci got by Grice and Trueblood, 9-8 (5); at No. 2, Kelsey Turner (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Friends) and Ruff pinned an 8-4 setback on Jesseman and Melissa Tomlin.

Goldstein-Plesser and Oehrig topped Hinson and Poehler, 8-2, for their sixth win in eight tries at third doubles in 2014-15.

The Gophers have a Landmark Conference match at home against Moravian scheduled for Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.