Indianapolis, Ind. - The Franklin College men's tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the 2014 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) tournament behind a dominating 5-1 victory over No. 4-seed Defiance College in Saturday's first round from the West Indy Racquet Club.

The Grizzlies' run ended to regular-season champion and No. 1-seed Earlham College 5-1 in the second match of the day.

Franklin (7-7) avenged a prior 6-3 loss to Defiance during the regular season. The team won two of the three doubles matches to grab early momentum. Junior Robby Woehrle (Avon, Ind./Avon) teamed with junior Evan Pierle (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) to win 8-0 on the No. 3 court. Junior Ryan Hammer (Greenwood, Ind./Greenwood) and freshman Ethan Caldwell (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North) recorded an 8-5 triumph at No. 1 doubles.

Senior Jared Hunt (New Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland Community) earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles. Woehrle also won by 6-1, 6-3 scores on the No. 5 court. Caldwell clinched the victory with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles.

Against Earlham, the Woehrle-Pierle doubles team dropped only three games in winning on the No. 3 court.

The match concluded the careers of Neal Herzog (Milan, Ind./Milan) and Hunt.