SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – After taking two of three doubles matches the Western New England University men's tennis team won five of six singles matches to take a 7-2 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at the Volvo Tennis Courts.
Winners of four straight the Golden Bears improve to 6-1 overall and are 2-0 in CCC play while the Leopards suffered their second straight setback to stand at 2-4 (0-2).
Senior Andres Otero (Caracas, Venezuela) and freshman Justin Kohut (East Longmeadow, Mass.) picked up an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles over seniors James Drum (Madison, Conn.) and Josh Dowd (Bristol, Conn.). At No. 2 doubles senior Alexander Sause (Cusago, Italy) and classmate Chris Spear (Windsor, Conn.) defeated junior Zach Peter (Preston, Conn.) and sophomore Seng Ly (Lynn, Mass.). Wentworth got an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles as juniors Mike Withington (Plymouth, Mass.) and James Thomas (Lakeville, Mass.) were 8-3 winners over sophomore Nick Raschilla (Longmeadow, Mass.) and freshman Drew Berg (Wilbraham, Mass.).
Drum outlasted Sause in a three-set affair, 1-6, 7-5, 10-5, at No. 1, however Western New England took remaining five singles matches. At No. 2 Otero defeated Ly, 6-1, 6-0, Spear defeated Peter at No. 3, 6-1, 6-0, Kohut defeated junior Thinh Dang (Boston, Mass.), 6-0, 6-2, at No. 4, freshman Michael Tran (West Haven, Conn.) needed three sets (4-6, 7-5, 10-5) to defeat Dowd at No. 5, and sophomore Kevin Yawgel (Cromwell, Conn.) defeated freshman Justin Wright (Wilmington, Mass.), 6-3, 6-1, at No. 6.
Wentworth is at Curry on Friday.