NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – A back-and-forth Heartland Collegiate Athletic dual at Manchester University's court Saturday, Sept. 24, came down to a pair of doubles' decisions and four successive singles wins for visiting Franklin College.

Looking to resume their white-hot league beginning, Coach Eric Christiansen's Spartans battled the Grizzlies tooth and nail in doubles play. The senior duo of Alaina Beckner (Columbia City, Ind.) and Adriana Brown (Columbia City, Ind.) upped their win streak to five, side-stepping FC's Ashley Sedler and Jessica Baker 9-7, while the number one tandem of juniors Mariam Aly (Giza, Egypt) and Erin Cordill (Zionsville, Ind.) and the number two pairing of juniors Katy Ashpole (Leesburg, Ind.) and Katie Peden (North Manchester, Ind.) picked up four games each but couldn't get over the hump in 8-4 and 8-5 defeats, respectively.

Cordill got the Spartans' singles action off to a strong start, gaining her fifth consecutive win with a straight-set victory. Beckner bookended that with one of her own at No. 6, taking a straight-set effort for her fourth successive victory. However, the Grizzlies responded with team points in the second through fifth slots to ice the 6-3 dual decision.

The Spartans, dipping to 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, resume their weekend Sunday, Sept. 25, facing Ohio Northern University in non-conference play at the University of St. Francis' Swinney Courts in Fort Wayne, Ind. First serve is 3 p.m.