The 20th-ranked Middlebury men's squash team earned a well-fought 5-4 victory at #14 Navy on Saturday. Alexis Ballo picked up a five-set thriller over Michael Tierney Jr. from the No. 9 spot to break a 4-4 tie and give the Panthers the win.

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Charlie Clifford and Gabe Feinstein gave Middlebury a 2-0 edge with their 3-0 and 3-1 victories from the No. 7 and No. 4 spots, respectively.
• The Midshipmen tallied a sweep at the top of the ladder before Caleb Boateng picked up a four-game triumph (11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4) over Lucas Spiro in the fifth slot to put Middlebury back ahead by two.
• Navy would go on a tear, securing three out of the next four to knot the score at 4-4.
• The attention turned to the battle at #9 between Ballo and Tierney Jr. Both players split the first four games, setting up a winner-take-all fifth.
• Despite the pressure, Ballo dug deep and pulled off an 11-7 victory in the fifth to seal the triumph.

NOTES

• Ballo pushed his record to 6-0 on the year.
• Clifford earned his 15th career victory.
• Middlebury increased its winning streak over Navy to five-consecutive matches.

The Panthers finish their road weekend with a match against Franklin and Marshall on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.