GRINNELL — In the first of two road matches this week for the Central College men's tennis team, the Dutch fell 9-0 to Grinnell College on Sunday.

The Dutch (6-7) continued their streak of early season matches against top-tier opponents such as the Pioneers (7-2).

"It's good to play Grinnell," coach Ryun Ferrell said. "They're always a really deep, talented team. We looked pretty good. Honestly, it's probably the most competitive we've been with them in a while."

The tightest singles match between the two teams came at the top of the lineup as Zach Lane outlasted Garrett Taylor (senior, Creston) 7-5, 7-6.

"Garret had a good game plan," Ferrell said. "Lane is a tough opponent because you never know what you're going to get and when. Ultimately, Garret did a great job."

The No. 3 doubles pairing of Scott Wilson (senior, Urbandale) and Jimmy Cunningham (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) had the best chance to win of anyone in the Central lineup before dropping a 9-8 decision.

"They had match point but couldn't bring it in," Ferrell said. "They really did everything right but just couldn't finish. I was pleased with their effort."

The second road match for Central is in Aurora, Illinois on Thursday against Aurora University.

"It's a chance to play a team we've never played before," Ferrell said. "Hopefully we can come home with a win and give a lot of our team a chance to play."