Box Score

            Valparaiso opened Horizon League play on Friday afternoon falling 6-1 to Butler in Indianapolis, Ind.

            Kyle Stump (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth H.S.) earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sam Brown at the sixth spot in the singles lineup for Valpo’s lone point on the afternoon.

            Butler (3-9, 1-0 Horizon League) won the other five singles contests in straight sets.  The Bulldogs’ Ben Raynauld won a tight match against Mike Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Munster H.S.) 7-5, 6-2 at the top of the order while Eric Breitenbach defeated Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) 6-1, 6-4 at the second spot.  Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) fell 6-2, 6-1 to Chris Herron while Tom Litscher (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial H.S.) dropped a 6-3, 6-2 match against Bryce Warren at third and fourth singles respectively.  Brandon Bayliss added a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Dan Brunette (Carmel, Ind./Lutheran H.S. of Indianapolis) at the fifth spot.

            The Bulldogs opened play sweeping all three doubles contests for the first point of the day.  Breitenbach and Herron were 8-3 victors over Shideler and Wagner at number one doubles while Raynauld and Warren posted an 8-1 win over Litscher and Lau.  Bayliss and Brown finished with an 8-4 victory over Stump and Brunette at third doubles.

            “Our effort was certainly good today, but we have got to get better managing our composure,” head coach Jim Daugherty said.  “We were very fired up but I know we could have played better.”

            Valparaiso (0-6, 0-1) will return to action on March 11 in Orlando, Fla. as the Crusaders battle Connecticut.  First serve is set for 12 p.m. CST.