ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's tennis team kicked off its three-match weekend on Friday, hosting Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend at the Gorilla House Gym.

Penn State Altoona (2-5, 2-1 AMCC) suffered a tight 5-4 loss in the match, recording one doubles win and three singles wins.

Penn State Behrend (8-9, 3-0 AMCC) opened the match by winning two out of three in doubles, taking the No. 1 and No. 3 three matches. Penn State Altoona salvaged a point in the No. 2 doubles slot, where Casey Hess (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona)/Micah Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PA Cyber) earned an 8-3 victory for their team-leading fourth doubles win together this season.

The teams split singles play, with each side winning three matches. Behrend preserved its one-point lead and escaped with the close match win.

Hess picked up his team-best fifth overall singles win this season, triumphing 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 3 singles match. Jake Irwin (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) won 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 5 spot for his fourth singles win of the year, and Kirk Eichenlaub (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) recorded a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the No. 6 match for his fourth win of the season.

Penn State Altoona men's tennis continues its weekend tomorrow, Saturday, March 26, hitting the road for Buffalo, N.Y. to face AMCC opponent Medaille College. That match is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held at Village Glen Tennis Club.