ERIE, Pa. - The men's tennis AMCC Champion trophy found its way into Baron hands for the fifth consecutive year, providing Franciscan with another conference victory and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

After lineup introductions and the conclusion of timed warm-ups, the Barons' doubles teams went shortly to work.

At No. 3 doubles, senior David Freytag and freshman Jack Galla looked as consistent as they had all year. The pair neutralized a positive Behrend first serve percentage and displayed marked improvement over their first matchup against the Lions in terms of finishing points at the net. Up five games, the Barons closed the door on any potential Behrend comeback, the first off the court courtesy of an 8-2 display of consistency and generous footwork.

With the Barons up 1-0, junior doubles pair Jarek Sulak and John Gallagher soon provided Franciscan with their second point of the afternoon. Up 6-5 after eleven consecutive service holds, it was the Barons who broke first, courtesy of angled Gallagher returns captivated by Sulak's unreturnable volleys. Sulak powered three first services deep into the box on his successive service game, to put the 8-5 win in the books; neither Gallagher nor Sulak was broken on the day, despite facing a combined three break points.

Last on the court for doubles was No. 2 duo RJ Watson and Connor Jooste. The sophomore and junior respectively kept the match close throughout, behind blistering serves and a strong collective net presence. Smart tennis allowed the Barons to outlast their Behrend opposition, even when, up 7-6, Watson double faulted three times to even the match at 7-7. In an ensuing 8-8 tiebreaker, Watson corrected his service inaccuracies, providing No. 2 doubles a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Behrend sent the final ball long to put a 7-2 tiebreak in the books, giving Franciscan the 9-8 match win and the 3-0 lead heading into singles play.

After a five-minute mandatory warm up and singles lineup introductions, both teams took the courts, with the Barons needing only two match victories to clinch the title. First off the court was Jooste; the junior dominated his No. 5 singles opposition, coming to the net at consistent intervals to keep his opponent forever on his feet and out of the match. His 6-0, 6-1 win was characterized by smart tennis and adept baseline footwork, in a match where Jooste broke serve in all but one of his opportunities.

With several matches nearing completion, it was Galla at No. 6 singles who put the finishing touches on the overall Baron win, with a clutch 6-3, 6-4 singles victory. The freshman overcame early volley inaccuracies to take his first set before rallies lengthened in the second. Down the stretch, despite close games, Galla punctuated his opponent's short groundstrokes with numerous volley winners. Behind a whipping kick serve, he served the match out on his own terms. His win marked the third straight year that a freshman has registered the deciding point, with Gallagher and Watson each clinching the championship in their respective first campaigns.

The Barons descended on court six to celebrate the hard-fought win, the ideal conclusion to a season marked by Franciscan's capacity to overcome opposition. At the time the match was called, Gallagher was on serve in his third set;  At 5-2 in his second set, Freytag was sitting only a game away from match completion. Watson was serving at 3-3 after taking his first set.

With the win, Franciscan ties Penn St.-Behrend and Penn St.-Altoona's record of five straight conference titles; they also tied Penn St.-Behrend and Penn St.-Altoona for most conference titles all time, with six. The Barons concluded AMCC play without dropping a doubles match.

The team has two days to savor the victory before a Wednesday matchup against tough non-conference opponent Grove City College at 3:30 p.m. The Barons fell to Grove City College during their fall season, with their last victory over the Wolverines coming in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament.