DETROIT (4/16/2016) -- Junior Patryk Koscielski and sophomore Nathan Ponton were dominant at No. 1 and 2 singles, but the University of Detroit Mercy men's tennis team just couldn't pull ahead dropping a 4-3 match to UIC on Saturday at the Titan Tennis Courts at the James K. Campbell Complex.

Detroit fell to 3-15 on the season and 0-5 in the Horizon League as the loss was the sixth of the year by a 4-3 score, including the fourth in a row in conference play. 

Koscielski defeated Carl Hedstrom, 6-1, 6-4 at top singles and never trailed in the match, while Ponton had no trouble with Christopher Cole at No. 2 dispatching him, 6-1, 6-3. The wins moved both netters to 4-1 in league play at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. 

The Titans trailed UIC (10-9, 2-2 HL), 3-2, with two singles matches left as junior Kacper Stelmaszak and freshman Griffin Mertz took their opponents to a third set. Mertz won the first set 6-4, but then dropped the second, 6-4. In the third, the rookie gave it all he had, but fell by a 6-2 score.

Meanwhile, Stelmaszak dropped his first set, 4-6, but that never deterred him as he won the second, 6-4, and claimed the third by the same mark. 

The Titans began the day taking the match at No. 2 doubles as juniors Ismail Kadyrov and Chance Conley ousted Hedstrom and Nate Campanile, 6-4. Detroit dropped No. 3, 6-3, and lost a heartbreaker at No. 1 as the back and forth affair came up just short for Koscielski and Ponton, 7-6 (3).

The Titans will wrap up the season tomorrow when they host Valparaiso at 10:00 a.m. It is part of another Titan tennis doubleheader with the women facing Valpo at 1:00 p.m.