Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Valparaiso snapped its three-match losing skid on Tuesday afternoon as the Crusaders recorded a 5-2 victory over IPFW in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The Brown and Gold opened with a victory in doubles. Nic Kooyers (Holland, Mich./Holland H.S.) and Shabbi Khan (Karachi, Pakistan/Oasys H.S.) were 8-3 victors at the second spot in the line-up while Joe Venegas (Saint Charles, Ill./North H.S.) and David Bukowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect H.S.) notched an 8-2 win at third doubles. Valpo's top doubles team of Ben Dunham-Freer (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands H.S.) and Tim Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Munster H.S.) fell to the Mastodons 8-5 at the top spot.

Valpo also recorded wins in four of the six singles contests to take the match. Kooyers cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory at the top spot while Dunham-Freer was a 7-5, 6-3 winner at number two. Bukowski recorded a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win at fifth singles and Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at the sixth spot. IPFW (5-15) posted a pair of three-set wins at third and fourth singles. Venegas fell 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 at the third spot and Shideler dropped a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 10-7 contest at number four.

Valparaiso (3-10) will take eight days off before hosting Butler next Wednesday, April 13, beginning at 3 p.m. at Brown Courts in the Crusaders' final non-conference tilt of the season.