Men’s tennis (14-7, 2-2 MAC) lost to Ball State University (7-9, 2-2 MAC) in a close 4-3 bout Saturday, giving the team two straight losses heading into the final month of the season.

NIU beat the Cardinals by the same score on March 20 in Muncie, Ind. The loss tied the season series at one and dropped NIU to a two-game losing streak for the first time since 2014 when it lost to Indiana University and the University of Iowa.

“We had a lot of chances today and we let them all slip through our hands,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher, according to an NIU Athletics news release. “But we can learn from this and be better for it.”

The loss dropped the Huskies to third in conference standings, placing them in a three-way tie with Binghamton University and Ball State.

The Huskies’ next game will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against the University of Toledo at the West Tennis Courts.

Doubles:

1. Andrew Stutz/Conner Andersen (BSU) def. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU), 7-6.

2. Lucas Andersen/Patrick Downs (BSU) def. Kevin Daun/Georg Lundkvist (NIU), 7-5.

3. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Matt Helm/Tom Carney (BSU), 6-3.

Singles:

1. Andersen (BSU) def. Manzanas (NIU), 7-6, 6-4.

2. Stutz (BSU) def. Hamel (NIU), 6-4, 6-4.

3. Lundkvist (NIU) def. Guzina (BSU), 6-1, 6-4.

4. Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Andersen (BSU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

5. Downs (BSU) def. Daun (NIU), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

6. Russell (NIU) def. Guzina (BSU), 6-4, 6-3.