TOLEDO, Ohio – Freshman
Thawin Suksathaporn clinched Toledo's first Mid-American Conference win of the season. UT (10-11, 1-3 MAC) defeated Ball State, 4-3, in a back-and-forth affair on Friday afternoon at Shadow Valley.Â
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"We had great resilience and team energy today," said Head Coach
Al Wermer. "These guys aren't phased with sickness or injuries. They all play with a "next man up" attitude."
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Ball State (10-9, 2-2 MAC) jumped into a 1-0 lead by securing wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Freshman
Thawin Suksathaporn and sophomore
Reid Teatsorth were leading Ball State, 5-3, at third doubles before their match was called.
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The Cardinals quickly extended their lead with a match win at No. 2 singles. However, senior
Stjepan Sisko put Toledo on the board by defeating Lucas Andersen, 6-3, 6-2, at the top of the lineup. Â
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Teatsorth claimed a straight-set victory over Patrick Downs at No. 5 to deadlock the score at 2-2, but the Cards pulled ahead soon after by winning fourth singles in two sets.
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Sophomore
Luka Vitosevic evened the score once more by besting Marko Guzina, 6-2, 6-4, at the No. 3 spot.
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That left the outcome on the shoulders of Suksathaporn on Court 6 against Conner Andersen. The freshman Rocket found himself down 5-2 in the opening frame but powered through to a 7-6 victory. Suskathaporn then recorded a convincing 6-2 win in the following set to claim the match and clinch the victory for the Midnight Blue & Gold.
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Singles Competition
- Stjepan Sisko (UT) def. Lucas Andersen (BSU) 6-3, 6-2
- Andrew Stutz (BSU) def. Vince Anzalone (UT) 6-1, 6-1
- Luka Vitosevic (UT) def. Marko Guzina (BSU) 6-2, 6-4
- Nemanja Guzina (BSU) def. Omar Espinosa (UT) 6-4, 6-1
- Reid Teatsorth (UT) def. Patrick Downs (BSU) 6-1, 6-2
- Thawin Suksathaporn (UT) def. Conner Andersen (BSU) 7-6, 6-2
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Doubles Competition
- Lucas Andersen/Andrew Stutz (BSU) def. Stjepan Sisko/Omar Espinosa (UT) 6-2
- Conner Andersen/Tom Carney (BSU) def. Vince Anzalone/Juan Carranza
- Thawin Suksathaporn/Reid Teatsorth (UT) vs. Patrick Downs/Marko Guzina (BSU) 5-3 unfinished