McMURRAY, Pa. – After a tough start in doubles, the Baldwin Wallace University men's tennis team secured wins in five singles matches to defeat Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College 6-3 in non-conference action at the Peters Township Tennis Center.

Washington & Jefferson (4-2) earned two doubles points with close victories at No. 2 and No. 3 by scores of 9-7 and 8-6, respectively. BW (6-0) won its only doubles point at the hands of junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar Athletes Dominic Polifrone (Hudson) and Matt Harris (Akron/Revere), who had to go to a tiebreak to pull out the 9-8(5) victory.

Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Yellow Jackets ripped off three straight singles points to take a 4-2 lead. Harris won at No. 2 doubles 6-2, 7-6(0). Sophomore ITA Scholar Athlete Jake Elbin (Findlay) returned to the lineup after missing last week's match to a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 3 singles and junior ITA Scholar Athlete Roger Boyer (Medina/Brunswick) notched a 7-6(1), 6-2 at No. 4.

The Presidents then won a tightly-contested match at No. 1 singles 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 to come within one point of BW and needing to win on the final two singles courts in order to win the match. However, freshman Michael Benotti (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles to secure the win for the Yellow Jackets. Senior Alex Papke (Federal Way, Wash./Thomas Jefferson) finished out the night with a classic match at No. 6 singles, winning by a final score of 2-6, 7-6(4), 10-7.

BW will next hit the courts down in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on the team's annual spring break trip. The Yellow Jackets will take on Cabrini (Pa.) University, Defiance College, Lynchburg (Va.) College, NAIA William Woods (Mo.) University and St. John Fisher (N.Y.) College while on the trip.