by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – Freshman Ermanno Galimberti helped the Barton men's tennis team to its eighth straight win with a three-set victory at No. 4 singles to seal the deal in a 5-4 decision over West Virginia Wesleyan College on Monday afternoon.
Barton, playing its fifth match in the last six days, earned an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles but faced a 2-1 deficit after West Virginia Wesleyan took the wins at No. 2 and No. 3.
The Bobcats began singles play with a win at No. 3 before senior Jake McCartney earned a 6-2, 6-3 win in the No. 2 position over the Atlantic Region's 7th ranked singles player. Sophomore Jesus Gil tied the match at three points apiece with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5, while freshman Julian Bosch gave Barton a one-point lead with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 1.
After a Wesleyan win at No. 6, Galimberti won the first set of his No. 4 match 6-1 before falling 5-7 in the second set. The freshman rallied to triumph 7-5 in the third and final set to clinch the victory for the Bulldogs and keep the team's winning streak alive.
Barton will have some time off before hosting N.C. Wesleyan in its next match on Wednesday, March 15 at 3 p.m.
Barton 5, West Va. Wesleyan 4
Singles:
1. Julian Bosch (BARTON) def. Nathan Sabate (WVW) 6-2, 6-4
2. Jake McCartney (BARTON) def. Lukas Laipold (WVW) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ramon Rodriguez (WVW) def. Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 6-2, 6-1
4. Ermanno Galimberti (BARTON) def. Jacobo Rendon (WVW) 6-1, 5-7, 7-5
5. Jesus Gil (BARTON) def. Pedro Nassar (WVW) 6-2, 6-2
6. Alex Lyudinovskiy (WVW) def. Alexandre Alves (BARTON) 6-3, 7-5
Doubles:
1. Julian Bosch/Jesus Gil (BARTON) def. Ferran Berga/Nathan Sabate (WVW) 8-5
2. Pierre Bedard/Lukas Laipold (WVW) def. Rory Gaydon/Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 8-7 (7-5)
3. Ramon Rodriguez/Jacobo Rendon (WVW) def. McKennon Griffin/Jake McCartney (BARTON) 8-6
Records:
West Virginia Wesleyan College 2-4; Regional ranking #7
Barton College 8-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,5,1,6,4)
*West Va. Wesleyan competes in the Atlantic Region
