FORT WAYNE, Ind.- Western Illinois senior Sean Ragee-Nelson won his sixth singles match in a row and freshman Mandela Shepard picked up his first career Summit League win as the men's tennis team climbed to .500 in league play by defeating IPFW, 5-2, in its final league cluster of the season.
The Leathernecks (7-15, 2-2 Summit League) kicked the match off by taking the doubles point from the Mastodons. The senior duo of Neil Lesinski and Sean Ragee-Nelson picked up a win at No. 1 doubles by defeating IPFW's Hermann Kuschke and Diego Arteaga, 8-3. Senior Zach Frisch and junior James McGuire clinched the doubles point by beating Felipe Gama and Luis Maselli at No. 2 doubles, 8-6.
In singles action, Ragee-Nelson recorded his sixth win in a row after only allowing a game in his 6-0, 6-1 win over Rodrigo Tamashiro at No. 4 singles, improving to 3-0 in Summit League play. Frisch and Lesinski each added singles wins to their doubles victories by picking up straight set wins at No. 1 and No. 3 respectively.
Shepard recorded his first Summit League win in his career at Western by defeating Justin Collins at the No. 6 singles position. The Aurora, Ill., native cruised through the first set 6-1. The second set took longer but was a win none the less for Shepard, 7-6 (2).
Western continues Summit League cluster action Friday, April 10, with a 1 p.m. match against IUPUI.
Western Illinois 5, IPFW 2
Singles
1. Zach Frisch (WIU) def. Hermann Kuschke (IPFW) 6-1, 6-2
2. Felipe Gama (IPFW) def. Francisco Ortiz (WIU) 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-8
3. Neil Lesinski (WIU) def. Luis Maselli (IPFW) 6-2, 6-1
4. Sean Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Rodrigo Tamashiro (IPFW) 6-0, 6-1
5. Ryan Vogt (IPFW) def. Rodrigo Azevedo (WIU) 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
6. Mandela Shepard (WIU) def. Justin Collins (IPFW) 6-1, 7-6(2)
Doubles
1. Lesinski/Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Kuschke/Diego Arteaga (IPFW) 8-3
2. Frisch/McGuire (WIU) def. Gama/Maselli (IPFW) 8-6
3. Vogt/Collins (IPFW) def. Azevedo/Michael Schild (WIU)
