It was all East Central during the 2021 tennis season opener on Tuesday afternoon as the team defeated the Bears from Southwest Mississippi Community College, 9-0. The early win moves ECCC to 1-0 on the year as they look towards their next opponent, Marion Military Insitute, who travels to Decatur this Friday, January 29. Matches start at 11 a.m.

"It's nice to get that first win out of the way," said ECCC head men's coach Jay Pacelli. "The guys played really hard. A formidable opponent in MMI awaits us on Friday and again, it should be some good tennis." 

East Central's Chris Lawrance (York, Wester Australia) and Isaac Santitto (Innisfail, Queensland, Australia) paired up at No. 1 doubles and took their first match of the year, 8-0, over Southwest's Grantham and McCoy. Garrett Crimm (Mathiston) and Ian Gordon (Vicksburg) were in action at No. 2 doubles and only dropped two games on their way to an 8-2 win over Boutwell and Wilks. Chris Albert (Vicksburg) and Steed Springfield (Vicksburg) rounded out the doubles teams with an 8-3 victory over Brown and Bean. 

Singles play was much of the same for the Warriors with six dominating performances. Lawrence cruised by Grantham 6-1, 6-0, at No. 1 singles, while Santitto matched that score at No. 2 with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Boutwell. Albert handled the No. 3 slot for the Warriors and defeated McCoy 6-0, 6-3, while Gordon played No. 4 and grabbed a 6-4, 6-2 win. Crimm got the win at No. 5 singles, 6-4, 6-0, and Jonathan Calzadilla (Forest) rounded out the roster with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 6. 

Outside of the nine official matches, Calzadilla and Jacob Gardner (Waynesboro) played doubles and won 8-3, while Gardner also played single-set singles matches where we won both, 6-0, 6-1. 

RESULTS