Trevor Pinder let out an emphatic bellow as he finished off his foe on an otherwise disappointing day for Bear Cubs tennis Thursday.

SRJC fell 8-1 to Chabot College, but Pinder, a second-year, thrilled onlookers in singles.

Pinder was visibly frustrated with his serve during doubles, but corrected it during the break before singles. He won one game via four straight aces in the second set.

“It wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but I was able to stay mentally tough and it worked out for me when I needed it most,” Pinder said.

Chabot’s No. 1 player was a worthy match for Pinder. The game was back and forth and neither player was able to seize control. The first two sets went to tiebreakers, which they split, leading up to a final 10-point tiebreaker, which Pinder won 10-8 thanks to pinpoint accuracy on his serves.

Head coach Connor Van Alstyne was glad to come away with one victory on the day. “Trevor needed this one personally,” he said. “He made that match his to win today.”

First-year Jason Do was forced to forfeit his match due to shin splints, a recurring issue for the duration of the season. “I can only push off my right leg, so I was having to throw my whole body every swing,” Do said,limping off the court and immediately wrapped both legs in ice.

Coach Van Alstyne thinks his players need to focus and have a strong week of practice before their next match.

“We need to get back to the basics,” Van Alstyne said. “We need to get to every ball and focus on getting back into position quicker.”

Up Next:

The Bear Cubs play at 1 p.m. March 13 at American River College.