North Manchester, Ind. - The Franklin College men's tennis team earned its first Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) victory of the spring season with a 5-3 road triumph against Manchester University on Saturday.

Franklin (2-7, 1-2 HCAC) won two of the three doubles matches to take an early lead. Junior Ethan Caldwell (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North) teamed with sophomore Alex Hammer (Greenwood, Ind./Greenwood) to pick up an 8-5 victory on the No. 1 court. The doubles team of senior Melissa Sanders (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) and freshman Karen Dringenburg (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) earned an 8-6 win on the No. 2 position.

In singles, Hammer recorded a straight-set triumph at the top of the lineup. Caldwell dropped only four games in winning on the No. 2 court to give Franklin a 4-1 lead.

Manchester answered with a pair of three-set victories at the No. 3 and 4 singles positions.

Dringenburg clinched the match for the Grizzlies in three sets at No. 6 singles. She rallied after dropping the only set by a 6-4 score. Dringenburg did not lose a game in the second set and completed the comeback effort with a 6-2 score in the deciding third set.

Sanders was tied 5-5 in the third set at No. 5 singles when the match was called after Dringenburg tallied the fifth point for the Grizzlies. She forced a third set by winning third second set with a 6-3 score.

Sunday's home match against Transylvania University from the Mickel-Hoover Tennis Complex has been postponed due to weather. A make-up date will be announced at a later time.