MIDDLETON, Mass. - The Saint Michael's College men's tennis team lost a 9-0 decision to regionally-ranked Merrimack College during its second match in less than 24 hours on Saturday at the Northeast Tennis Center during Northeast-10 Conference play. The Purple Knights are 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the league, while the Warriors improved to 3-5 and 2-0. Merrimack, which won the past three NE-10 regular-season titles while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament each season, is fifth in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Regional poll.

Juniors Sam Laves (Bedford, N.H./Bishop Brady) and Charlie Merry (Kennebunkport, Maine/Kennebunk) lost 8-3 at No. 2 doubles, while sophomores Tyler Lucey (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) and Hayden Steward (Hamilton, Mass./Pingree School) won two games in the third position. At No. 1, senior Billy Wood (Wayne, Pa./Home Schooled) and sophomore Ben Lambert (Milford, N.H./Milford) were shut out by a tandem tied for 10th in the region.

Wood fell by a 6-2, 6-2 count in the first singles position to the No. 16 player in the East, while Laves lost a 6-0, 6-1 decision against the 17th-ranked individual in the region at No. 3. Steward won a pair of games during an 8-2 pro-set loss in the sixth slot.

The Purple Knights complete a three-match road swing on Wednesday at Le Moyne College at 12 p.m.