BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Junior Ross Gilbert clinched the match for Gardner-Webb with a victory at No. 4 singles to help the Runnin' Bulldogs defeat the UNC Greensboro Spartans, 4-3, on Monday afternoon.

Gilbert won at No. 4 in two sets, but both sets went into tiebreakers in front of the home crowd on a windy afternoon in Boiling Springs. Gilbert won set one, 7-6 (7), before defeating UNCG's Ian Melnik, 7-6 (3), in set two to clinch the match.

"I thought the key to the match was Ross coming back from a 5-2 deficit in the first set," said head coach Mike Griffith. "He battled back and won the tiebreaker, but we've got to give credit to UNCG. They played very well."

Gardner-Webb began the match by winning the doubles point. Maximilian Scholl and Millen Hurrion, the country's 48^th-ranked doubles team were victorious, 6-4, but UNCG earned the win in the No. 2 flight.

The doubles point came down to the No. 3 position, and Gardner-Webb's Stefano Puga and Breno Plentz narrowly defeated the Nico Grewe and Eric Whisnant, 7-5, to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

In singles play, Scholl quickly extended Gardner-Webb's lead to 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-1 win in the No. 1 flight. The senior has won five straight matches in the top flight.

UNCG won its first match at No. 3 before Hurrion pushed the Runnin' Bulldogs' lead back to two matches with a two-set win at No. 2. The Weymouth, England native is ranked 98^th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's singles poll and won 6-1, 7-5 over UNCG's Hugh Knapp.

The Spartans tied the match with a pair of victories in the No. 5 and No. 6 flights before Gilbert lifted Gardner-Webb to its first win of the season. Gilbert, who hails from Bath, England, remained steady despite both sets going into tiebreakers and won his first match of the year.

The Runnin' Bulldogs are now 1-5 overall, while UNCG drops to 1-4.

Gardner-Webb will return to action and conclude a two-match homestand at 1 p.m. on Saturday when South Carolina State visits Boiling Springs.