Last year, the Cerritos College men's tennis team was eliminated from the playoffs by Riverside City College. On Friday, the Falcons (1-2) dropped a close 5-4 decision to the Tigers in a non-conference match in the road. The team will now head down to Palomar College on Tuesday for a 2:00 p.m. contest.

The two teams split the six singles matches, with Cerritos winning in the top two positions of the ladder. After the Falcon tandem of sophomore Nathan Eshmade (Kings Baptist, Australia HS) and freshman Amadi Kagoma (Malezi School, Kenya HS) recorded an 8-4 win in the #1 position, the Tigers matched that score in the second doubles match.

With the final outcome resting on the #3 doubles match, the pairing of sophomore Mark Herrera (Bosco Tech HS) and freshman Milos Zoric (Gimnazija Indijija, Serbia HS) fought back from an early deficit against David Stanko and Joffrey Fecomme. The match was tied, 3-3 before a double-fault gave Riverside the edge and they capitalized on it for an 8-6 win.

Eshmade fought though an injry to defeat UC Riverside bounceback Stanko, 6-2, 6-3, with Kagoma fighting hard for his 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 decision over Danny Garcia. Freshman Sheldon Hseih (Long Beach Poly HS) picked up the other singles win with his 6-2, 6-4 victory over Fecomme in the #5 position.

SINGLES

Nathan Eshmade (CERR) dev. David Stanko (RCC), 6-2, 6-3
Amadi Kagoma (CERR) def. Danny Garcia (RCC), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Yann Herve (RCC) def. Nicholas Simonelli (CERR), 6-0, 6-4
Patrick Stetco (RCC) def. Milos Zoric (CERR), 6-4, 6-4
Sheldon Hseih (CERR) def. Joffrey Fecomme (RCC), 6-2, 6-4
Conner Stephenson (RCC) def. Simon Graff (CERR), 6-3, 6-0

DOUBLES

Nathan Eshmade/Adami Kagoma (CERR) def. Danny Garcia/Conner Stephenson (RCC), 8-4
Yann Herve/Sergio Romero (RCC) def. Nicholas Simonelli/Sheldon Hseih (CERR), 8-4
David Stanko/Joffrey Fecomme (RCC) def. Mark Herrera/Milos Zoric (CERR), 8-6