Franklin, Ind. - The Franklin College men's tennis team lost its 2014 season opener 8-1 to Alma College on Friday at the West Indy Racquet Club.

The No. 1 doubles team of junior Ryan Hammer (Greenwood, Ind./Greenwood) and freshman Ethan Caldwell (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North) won by a 8-2 score.

Hammer lost a hard-fought three-set match at No. 1 singles. He dropped the deciding third set by a 10-6 score.

Caldwell also fell in a third-set tiebreaker, losing 16-14 in the tiebreaker at No. 2 singles.

Franklin returns to action on Wednesday, February 26 at 5 p.m. at Wabash College.

Alma 8, Franklin 1

Singles

No. 1 Joshua Gove (ALMA) def. Ryan Hammer (FC) 5-7, 6-4, 10-6

No. 2 Logan Beard (ALMA) def. Ethan Caldwell (FC) 6-2, 7-5, 16-14

No. 3 Grant Hill (ALMA) def. Robby Woehrle (FC) 6-3, 6-2

No. 4 Bryan Schutte (ALMA) def. Luke Snyder (FC) 6-0, 6-0

No. 5 Jared Guy (ALMA) def. Jared Hunt (FC) 6-2, 6-3

No. 6 Chad Barnhart (ALMA) def. Neal Herzog (FC) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 Hammer/Caldwell (FC) def. Grant Hill/Schutte (ALMA) 8-2

No. 2 Gove/Guy (ALMA) def. Hunt/Snyder (FC) 8-6

No. 3 Damian Arthur/Beard (ALMA) def. Evan Pierle/Woehrle (FC) 8-5