CHARLESTON, S.C.  The upset was brewing, but the host Bulldogs from The Citadel battled back in singles action to rally for a 6-3 win over the upstart Methodist Monarchs Friday afternoon in non-conference men's tennis action.

In the scheduled doubleheader it was the Bulldogs who swept six singles bouts in the second match to capture a 6-0 win to close out the day.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Citadel def. Methodist, 6-3; Citadel def. Methodist, 6-0
Records: Methodist 0-11, Citadel 5-11
Location: Earle Tennis Center; Charleston, S.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening match saw Methodist notch a pair of doubles wins to stun the Bulldogs. Hayden Wilfong teamed with Tyler Kane at 2-doubles for an 8-5 win, and AJ Rogers paired with E.J. Stolmeijer at No. 3 for an identical 8-5 win.
• The Monarchs added a third point at 2-singles where Trent Harner pulled a rally of his own. Trailing after dropping the opening set to Will Graham, Harner came back with a 6-4 second-set win, then rolled 10-3 in the third-set tiebreaker to seal the comeback.
• The Citadel won the other five singles flights, though, to stave off the upset bid of the Division III Monarchs.
• In the second match, the Citadel opened by sweeping the six singles matches for a 6-0 lead, and the doubles matches were not contested.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs continue their coastal stay by squaring off against another Division I foe on Saturday, taking on host College of Charleston at 2 p.m.