BRISTOL, R.I. - Roger Williams University men's tennis advanced to The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Tournament Semifinal Round with a 5-2 win over defending champion Salve Regina University.

The win for the Hawks avenges last year's playoff loss to Salve Regina, where the Seahawks defeated Roger Williams in a close 5-4 battle to clinch the 2010 TCCC Championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawks began the day with a pair of wins at doubles, with Jason Pacino (North Reading, Mass.) and Nicholas Hawvermale (Bethlehem, Conn.) defeating Colin Gunning (Norwell, Mass.) and Brian Sweeney (Waldeboro, Maine) at #3 by an 8-3 score. Jeff DeNunzio (Barrington, R.I.) and Spencer Withington (Plymouth, Mass.) would also pick up an 8-3 win at #2 over Aaron Isch (Tolland, Conn.) and Brian Castrichini (Winchester, Mass.). Zachary Rosenfeld (Easton, Conn.) and Chad Strong (San Diego, Calif.) would earn the Seahawks first point of the day with an 8-2 win over Kevin Erikson (Tolland, Conn.) and Dan Kleitz (Wethersfield, Conn.) at #1.

At singles play, the Hawks began with a pair of wins by Withington and Taylor Webster (Bristol, Conn.), with Withington defeating Gunning 6-1, 6-0 at #5 and Webster winning 6-0, 6-0 at #6 over James Diamantopoulos (West Yarmouth, Mass.). Strong came back with a 6-0, 6-4 win over DeNunzio for Salve Regina at the first flight, but Kleitz would earn the clinching point for the Hawks with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Isch at #3.

Roger Williams (15-6) will host the winner #3 Western New England/#6 Eastern Nazarene matchup on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Salve Regina concludes its season with a record of 5-12.

Courtesy of Roger Williams sports information