By: Jake Timm (@GBJakeT)
VALPARAISO, Ind. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Green Bay men's tennis maintained its perfect Horizon League record by gutting out a comeback 4-3 win at Valparaiso on Saturday.
The Phoenix (13-7) got off on the right foot, claiming the doubles point with a 6-1 win from the No. 2 team of juniors Howard Scott (Exeter, England) and Joey Leto (Downers Grove, Ill.), and a 6-4 win from the No. 1 team of senior Michael Tenzer (Neuried, Germany) and freshman Florian Kraenzler (Puchheim, Germany).
The Crusaders (17-5) applied major pressure to begin singles play, getting wins at the No. 2 and No. 4 spots to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Scott turned the tide for the Phoenix when he picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles, knotting the match at 2-2.
Leto claimed his match in straight sets as well at No. 6 singles, winning 6-4, 6-3 and pushing Valpo to match point.
The Crusaders battled back to get the win at No. 1 singles, and the match came down to the matchup between Green Bay sophomore Joshua Schramm (Brunsbuttel, Germany), and Valparaiso's Kyle Dunn with it all tied at 3-3.
After dropping the first set 6-2, Schramm stormed back to claim sets two and three both by the score of 6-4 to clinch the match for the Phoenix.
The win pushed Green Bay to 3-0 in Horizon League play in 2015. It was the first conference loss of the season for Valpo, which fell to 1-1 in Horizon League action.
Saturday's contest signaled the end of a grueling road trip for the Phoenix that lasted 10 matches and saw Green Bay go 6-4.
The Phoenix will now enjoy three straight home matches, all featuring Horizon League foes, to end the 2015 regular season. Green Bay will host Cleveland State on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m. at Western Racquet and Fitness Club. Youngstown State comes to town Sunday, April 12 for a match that begins at 10 a.m.
Green Bay 4 – Valparaiso 3
Singles
No. 1 Dave Bacalla (VALPO) def. (110)Michael Tenzer (GB) 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 Jeffrey Schorch (VALPO) def. Leopold Gomez Islinger (GB) 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 Howard Scott (GB) def. Garrett Gardner (VALPO) 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 Charlie Emhardt (VALPO) def. Florian Kraenzler (GB) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Joshua Schramm (GB) def. Kyle Dunn (VALPO) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 Joey Leto (GB) def. Lucas Waak (VALPO) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 Tenzer/Kraenzler (GB) def. Schorsch/Emhardt (VALPO) 6-4
No. 2 Scott/Leto (GB) def. Bacalla/Chase Hamilton (VALPO) 6-1
No. 3 Waak/Gardner (VALPO) def. Islinger/Michael Tebon (GB) 6-1
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