ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Tennis opened the 2023 season with a 5-4 win over Eagle Road rival Cabrini. Shane Witzer fought off a pair of match points and won an 11-9 super-tiebreaker to give the Eagles the decisive fifth point with a win at sixth singles. The win is the first for rookie head coach Harrison Bitzberger.

The Eagles opened the day with a pair of doubles wins. Jacob Devage and Ryan Kratz won 8-2 at first doubles, and William Livezey and Jeffrey Day ground out an 8-5 win at second doubles. It was the first collegiate win for both Day and Livezey.

"We got off to a good start in doubles," Bitzberger said. "It was big for us to have Jeff and Kratz get double wins. I wanted to get everyone in the line-up today, so Shane was fresh, but also it was his first match."

Witzer took the court with the Eagles up 4-3, but he lost the opening set 6-2. He rallied to win six straight games in the second set, but he went down 9-7 in the 10-point super-breaker. With the Cavaliers up big at the fifth singles spot, Witzer responded to the pressure and scored the final four points of the match to secure the Eastern win.

Kratz won his match at second singles 6-2, 7-5, and Day won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. 

The Eagles were scheduled to play at Juniata tomorrow, but that match will be moved to March 22.