RICHMOND, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's tennis team built a 3-0 lead, but Eastern Kentucky managed to claw back and secure a 4-3 win over the Knights in Atlantic Sun Conference play Monday at the Greg Adams Tennis Center.

Bellarmine (5-9, 0-2 ASUN) got off on the right foot against Eastern Kentucky (17-4, 2-0) by earning the doubles point as junior Jack Batchelor and sophomore Matthew Nice defeated Fernando Bulnes and Evzen Holis 6-2 at No. 1, and junior Xavier Ecarma and senior Kyle Tang matched that score in a victory over Paul-Antoine Brazet and Moritz Mayer at No. 2.

Bellarmine boosted its lead to 3-0 after Tang topped Bulnes 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and Nice downed Mario Monclus Martin 7-5, 6-3 at No. 3, but Eastern Kentucky claimed victory in the four remaining must-win matches, including a third-set tiebreaker at No. 1 and two more (Nos. 4 and 5) decided in three sets.

Bellarmine will host FGCU at 2:30 p.m. (ET) Friday at the Eddie Weber Tennis Complex.

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