Three straight-set singles victories helped propel Tusculum College to a 6-2 win over Mars Hill College in a South Atlantic Conference Women's tennis match Friday afternoon.

Freshmen Erin Mills, Adrienne Kaye and Emily Waters came through with wins for the Pioneers (11-3, 3-1 SAC), the latter clinching the match after the Lions (1-8, 1-3 SAC) had drawn within 3-2 midway through singles.

Taylor Patterson also came through with a key point for the Pioneers, rallying from a set down (5-7, 6-4) to win 10-7 in a tiebreaker at flight two over Anna Rickenbaker of the Lions.

The Pioneers took a 2-1 lead in doubles play as Patterson and Mills blanked Aly Jones and Alison Fridley 8-0 at flight two, and Waters teamed with Amanda Sumner for an 8-4 win over Marian Pinate and Natalie Hilbig at flight three.

In singles play, Mills downed Pinate 6-2, 6-4 at flight three for a 3-1 Tusculum lead, and Patterson added the crucial fourth point at flight two. Waters then earned the clinching point with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Jones at flight four, and Kaye downed Fridley 6-1, 6-1 at flight five. The flight six match between the Pioneers' Megan Buckmaster and Hilbig was stopped due to rain with Buckmaster ahead 2-1 in the first set.

The Pioneers open a stretch of six straight home matches to end the regular season when they host Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex.