BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Muskingum University, 9-0, today (Saturday, April 30) on the "Pop" Collins Courts in Berea in its final regular season match. With its victory, the Yellow Jackets recorded their 15th victory, eighth shutout and earned the number-two seed in next week's OAC Championship Tournament. The BW women have won three of the past four OAC Tournament titles, including a year ago, and have advanced to three of the past four NCAA Division III national tournaments.
With its win, BW improved to 15-7 overall and ended the regular season at 8-1 in the OAC. The Yellow Jackets will open OAC Tournament play on Wednesday, May 4 on the "Pop" Collins Courts in Berea at 3:30 p.m. against a yet to be determined opponent. The winner advances to the Final Four next weekend in Mason. With its loss, Muskingum fell to 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the OAC.
The past five years, Jack Bethlenfalvy's Yellow Jacket squad has compiled an impressive 89-36 record with a .712 winning percentage and three OAC crowns and three NCAA tourney berths.
The Yellow Jackets dominated the match by winning 72 of 79 singles, 24 of 26 doubles and 96 of 105 total games.
BW gained a 3-0 advantage in doubles as the number-one duo of senior Caitlyn Pecinovsky (Whitehall/ Columbus Bishop Hartley) and sophomore Becky Mittler (Elyria/ Catholic) won, 8-0, to improve to a team-leading 19-8 overall; the No.2 duo of junior Jenny Greene (Worthington/ Thomas Worthington) and senior Emily Pelosi (Uniontown/ Green), won, 8-0, to improve to 15-5 overall; and the No.3 tandem of senior Katy Marshall (Medina/ Senior) and freshman Morgan Baker (Vermilion/ Elyria Catholic) won, 8-2, to improve to 10-8 overall.
The Yellow Jackets swept all six singles matches as Pecinovsky won at No.1 singles by the scores of 6-0 and 6-0 to improve her overall record to 18-9. Mittler won at No.2 by the scores of 6-0 and 6-0 to improve her overall record to 16-13. Greene won at No.3 by the scores of 6-0 and 6-0 to improve to a team-leading 20-6 overall. Pelosi won at No.4 by the scores of 6-0 and 6-0 to improve to 19-8 overall. Marshall won at No.5 by the scores of 6-0 and 6-0 to improve to 17-9 overall. Baker won at No.6 by the scores of 6-3 and 6-2 to improve to 2-6 overall. Regular No.2 singles player junior Safaa Hajji (Rabat, MOROCCO) missed today's match.
Prior to today's match, BW recognized Pecinovsky, Pelosi and Marshall as all three are among the top all-time players and winners in school history. As a trio, they have combined for 187 singles, 180 doubles and 347 career combination victories.
Pecinovsky now owns a 67-41 career singles mark to tie Pelosi, who is 67-34 for her career, for fifth all-time in victories. She also has a 70-46 doubles mark to rank third all-time in doubles wins. Her 137 career combination wins ranks fourth all-time and she has a career combination mark of 137-87. In addition to her 67 singles wins, Pelosi is 49-39 in doubles to rank 12th all-time, and her 116 career combination wins ranks 10th all-time. Marshall is 53-31 all-time in singles to tie for seventh all-time and her 61 doubles victories and 61-49 career mark ranks sixth. Her career combination wins are 114 and career mark of 114-80 ranks 11th all-time.
The winner of the BW's quarterfinal match on Wednesday advances to the OAC Final Four to play top-seeded and regular season champion Ohio Northern University at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Friday, May 6. The OAC Championship Match is on Saturday, May 7 in Mason.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics
Baldwin Wallace University 9, Muskingum University 0
Singles competition
1. Caitlyn Pecinovsky (BW-W) def. Lindsay Mullen (MUSK) 6-0, 6-0
2. Rebecca Mittler (BW-W) def. Ally Thomas (MUSK) 6-0, 6-0
3. Jenny Greene (BW-W) def. Cheyenne Davidson (MUSK) 6-0, 6-0
4. Emily Pelosi (BW-W) def. Renee Staudt (MUSK) 6-0, 6-0
5. Katy Marshall (BW-W) def. Libby Johnson (MUSK) 6-0, 6-0
6. Morgan Baker (BW-W) def. Amanda Chema (MUSK) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Caitlyn Pecinovsky/Rebecca Mittler (BW-W) def. Lindsay Mullen/Libby Johnson (MUSK) 8-0
2. Jenny Greene/Emily Pelosi (BW-W) def. Ally Thomas/Cheyenne Davidson (MUSK) 8-0
3. Katy Marshall/Morgan Baker (BW-W) def. Amanda Chema/Cassandra Sarver (MUSK) 8-2
