The Hope College men's tennis team battled until the final point before falling to Kalamazoo College, 5-4, on Saturday at DeWitt Tennis Center.

The Flying Dutchmen dropped to 9-10 overall on the season and 3-3 in MIAA play. 

Hope, which is in fourth place in the league, can clinch a berth in next month's MIAA Tournament with a victory at home against The University of Olivet on Monday, April 22, at 4 p.m.

Kalamazoo (6-9, 5-1 MIAA) is tied for second place with Calvin University. The Hornets host unbeaten Trine University for a share of the MIAA title on Tuesday, April 23.

It was the closest the Flying Dutchmen came to beating Kalamazoo since a 7-2 victory during the 2003 season. 

"It's always one that we know is going to be a fight to the very end," head coach Austin Hunt said. "The fact that it's this close and every time we've played them it's tighter and tighter."

Hope took a doubles match from Kalamazoo early to stay within striking distance.

At third doubles, freshman Cooper Nugent (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Rochester Adams HS) and junior Jonathan Eggleston (Yuseong Gu, Daejeon / Taejon Christian International School) won the first match of the day, 8-3.

At the top flight, senior Justin Fay (Naperville, Illinois / St. Francis) and junior Austin Becksvoort (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) played a tight set before losing serve and falling 8-5.

Freshmen Paul Schneider (Fishers, Indiana / Hamilton Southeastern) and Rylan Doden (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Blackhawk Christian) fell at second doubles, 8-4.

Singles play featured some intense battles that went down to the wire, including four decided by a third-set tiebreaker.

Fay lost at the top flight, 6-0, 6-1, to the Hornets' Gabe Vidinas, a two-time All-MIAA selection.

Schneider's powerful play style benefited him early at second singles as he won the first set. Kalamazoo's Adnan Alousi, former All-MIAA Second Team selection, dug in and rallied to a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 victory.

Doden also took the first set, but fell as well in another marathon match, losing at third singles 1-6, 6-0, 6-2 to Kalamazoo's Alex Fleming.

Nugent backed up his doubles victory with a win in the singles court, taking the fourth singles flight 6-1, 6-2.

Becksvoort stretched his singles winning streak to eight matches as he rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 10-3 victory at fifth singles.

Senior John Voss (Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier) delivered the last victory of the day in a thrilling 6-2, 0-6, 1-0 (11-9) victory at sixth singles.