THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – After a narrow setback just over a week ago, No. 20-ranked Midwestern State got revenge on 13th-ranked Cameron with a 4-2 comeback win to claim its second-straight Lone Star Conference Postseason crown.
 
MSU flipped the script on the Aggies after falling into a 2-0 deficit with four-straight wins in singles en-route to the fifth postseason tournament title in team history (2001, 2006, 2013, 2018).
 
Junior Angel Palacios clinched the team's second-straight title, rallying from a first-set deficit. The nation's second-ranked player outlasted sixth-ranked Vinicius Santos, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, at the No. 1 flight to improve to 17-5 on the season.
 
Trailing 2-0 after dropping the doubles point and the No. 6 singles flight, sophomore Nolan McCaig started the comeback for the Maroon and Gold. The Modesto, Calif., native put the Mustangs on the board behind a 6-4, 6-3 win against Oscar del Granado at the No. 4 flight.
 
Sophomore Alberto Diaz narrowly defeated Julen Gutierrez at the No. 5 flight to draw the match even. Claiming a 6-4 first set win, Diaz rattled off an 8-6 win in a second-set tiebreaker for the equalizer.
 
Sophomore Alex Martinez Roca won by default in a second-set tiebreaker. After claiming a 6-1 win in the first frame, the Castelldefels, Spain, native recorded his 13th-straight win as Mritunjay Badola retired amidst a second-set tiebreaker to put the Mustangs on top for good, 3-2.
 
Palacios put the finishing touches on the match to give MSU Texas its first back-to-back titles in program history.
 
Senior Dillon Pineda led 72nd-ranked Przemyslaw Zielinski 5-1 in the third set as the match was decided.
 
The Aggies took an early lead with a pair of narrow wins in doubles. The 15th-ranked tandem of Santos and Gutierrez defeated MSU Texas' 24^th-ranked team of Ben Westwick and Diaz, 7-5. McCaig and Pineda secured an upset of 44th-ranked Badola and Zielinski with an 8-6 tiebreaker to force the action to the No. 3 flight.
 
Pierre Marion and del Granado ousted Palacios and Norrie in a tiebreaker, 9-7, to give Cameron the early edge.
 
The Mustangs learn their fate regarding the NCAA DII Postseason on Tuesday, May 7, at 7 p.m.
 
BOX SCORE
#20 Midwestern State (18-5) def. #13 Cameron (18-4)
Lone Star Conference Finals
Sat., May 4, 2019 | 10 a.m.
Waco, Texas
Waco Regional Tennis Center
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #15 Vinicius Santos/Julen Gutierrez (CU) #24 Ben Westwick/Alberto Diaz (MSU) 7-5
No. 2 – Nolan McCaig/Dillon Pineda (MSU) def. #44 Mritunjay Badola/Przemyslaw Zielinski (CU) 7-6 (6)
No. 3 – Oscar del Granado/Pierre Marion (CU) def. Angel Palacios/Denney Norrie (MSU) 7-6 (7)
 
Singles
No. 1 – #2 Angel Palacios (MSU) def. #6 Vinicius Santos (CU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 – Alex Martinez Roca (MSU) def. Mritunjay Badola (CU) 6-1, 6-6 ret.
No. 3 – Dillon Pineda (MSU) vs. #72 Przemyslaw Zielinski (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 5-1 unfinished
No. 4 – Nolan McCaig (MSU) def. Oscar del Granado (CU) 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 – Alberto Diaz (MSU) def. Julen Gutierrez (CU) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
No. 6 – Pierre Marion (CU) def. Ben Westwick (MSU) 6-2, 6-1
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1, 2, 3); Singles (6, 4, 5, 2, 1)

UP NEXT
MSU awaits its fate regarding the NCAA DII Championships. The bracket is unveiled online at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7.