The Oglethorpe men's tennis team rebounded from their loss to Division I Citadel over the weekend by emphatically reentering Division III play with an 8-1 win over regionally-ranked Piedmont Wednesday evening in Demorest, Georgia. The victory improved the Stormy Petrels to 6-2 on the season. 

The Petrels, ranked 13th in the Atlantic South region, took five of the six singles matches in straight sets on Wednesday over the Lions, ranked 20th in the region. The visitors started the afternoon by taking all three of the doubles matches. Senior C.J. Antonio and sophomore Rhys Richardson took out the top Piedmont doubles team 8-2, sophomore Judd Motz and senior Briton Richardson knocked out their No. 2 doubles combo 8-5, and freshmen Angel Llerena and Richard Johnson won a hard-fought contest against their No. 3 doubles team, 9-7. 

In singles, Antonio, the 23rd-ranked player in the nation and fifth-ranked player in the Atlantic South, breezed past the Lions' No. 1 player 6-1, 6-2. Llerena won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 while Rhys Richardson won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4. His brother Briton won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 and freshman Michael Santaloci took his match at No. 6, 6-4, 6-4. The lone loss came at No. 2 singles, where Motz was locked in a tight first set, but eventually fell 6-4, 6-2. 

"The men played well today in defeating a competitive Piedmont team with a decisive 8-1 score," said Oglethorpe head coach Peter Howell. "Richard Johnson was magnificent at No. 3 doubles, and I don't believe Rhys Richardson missed a service return in his No. 1 doubles match. This was a very solid team victory."

The Petrels will now get set to take on Kalamazoo, ranked 10th in the Central region, at the Downing Howell Courts Tuesday at 3 p.m. They'll then head to LaGrange to take on the Panthers Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.