ERIE, Pa. – Vying for their seventh straight and eighth overall Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title, the Franciscan men's tennis team defeated the second-seeded Mount Aloysius Mounties 5-2 Sunday afternoon.
 
With a 2-1 start after doubles, the Barons were in a good position to claim the AMCC title. Junior Walter Matt worked very quickly and shut out his No. 6 singles opponent, 6-0, 6-0.
 
The Mounties did get one point in singles as Matt Blose won for MTA at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-0 to cut the Franciscan advantage to 3-2. It was then a race to the fifth point for Franciscan between junior Jack Galla and sophomore Giorgio Alexander.
 
Galla won his first set 6-1 while Alexander was close behind with a 6-2 win in his first set. Alexander pulled away in his second set at No. 4 singles and won 6-1 to give Franciscan a 4-1 lead. Galla wasn't far behind and clinched the title at No. 5 singles with a 6-1 win.
 
Galla's clinch at No. 5 was the second time he has clinched the title for the Barons. In 2017, Galla won the match for the Barons as freshman at No. 6 singles
 
The Barons won two out of three doubles matches for the early 2-1 lead in the match. Matt and sophomore Aidan Howard continued to perform at the top of their games as they worked an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles for the Barons first win of the match. Galla and sophomore Luke Conrad gave Franciscan a 2-1 lead with an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles. It wasn't a shutout, however, as the Mounties won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles.
 
The win not only handed the Barons their seventh-straight AMCC title, but was the 64^th-straight win over an AMCC team since the 2010-11 season. Franciscan tennis has been in the league since the 2009-10 academic year and have won the league title every year except two (2010, 2012). Since going to a bracketed tournament in 2013, the Barons have won every conference title and won the title once when the championship was in a flighted format.
 
Franciscan now waits for the NCAA selection that will take place next Monday, May 6 to find out where the Barons are headed for the national tournament and who they will be playing.