HARROGATE, Tenn. -- As the end of the year approaches, the Lincoln Memorial University athletic department is counting down the top 20 moments of 2015. Checking in at No. 19 is the men's tennis duo of Joshua Peress (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and Pepe Batalla (Barcelona, Spain), who capped a dazzling doubles season with a win over the Railsplitters' biggest rival.
 
The Peress/Batalla doubles partnership was shaky at the start, as the freshmen pair dropped two of their first four tandem matches of the 2015 campaign. But after pushing through that rough patch, Peress and Batalla would combine to win six straight South Atlantic Conference contests.
 
Following a narrow 8-5 loss against 43rd-ranked Tusculum's Leon Seiz and Tashique Kader, Peress and Batalla nabbed two straight hard-fought wins, including an 8-6 victory over No. 36 Queens's Will Roberson and Jules Athalis. 
 
Heading into the final regular season match of the season on April 12, the Railsplitters needed a win over arch-rival Carson-Newman to secure a spot in the SAC Championship field. And Peress and Batalla helped fuel Lincoln Memorial to a 7-2 triumph by grinding out a 9-8 win against Kevin Mendes and Juan Sebastian Perez, capping a debut season that saw the pair compile an 11-4 doubles record. Peress was recognized as the AstroTurf SAC Men's Tennis Player of the Week following that win over Carson-Newman.
 
The 11 wins marked the most by an LMU doubles tandem since Marcelo Alvim and Will Sparks combined for 16 victories in 2013.
 
The top 20 moments of 2015 countdown continues on Saturday with No. 18.
 
Top 20 moments of 2015