Sunday, February 10, 2008

Box Score

            Valpo earned its first spring doubles victory of the year on Saturday evening, but it was not nearly enough as DePaul shutout Valparaiso 7-0 in Chicago, Ill.

            The Crusaders’ top doubles team of Mike Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Munster H.S.) and Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) defeated the Blue Demons’ Alasdair Graetz and Adam Williams 8-6 but DePaul (5-3) won the other two doubles contests and swept singles on the way to the shutout.

            Vanja Grgec and Bartosz Jozwiak defeated Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) and Tom Litscher (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial H.S.) 8-6 at the second spot while Jose Moncada and Ben Hartman were 8-4 victors over Dan Brunette (Carmel, Ind./Lutheran H.S. of Indianapolis) and Kyle Stump (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth H.S.).

            “I was very pleased with our doubles today,” head coach Jim Daugherty said.  “We came out strong and had a chance to win the doubles point.”

            Stump nearly pulled out a win at sixth singles against Williams before falling in a super tie-break 6-3, 3-6, 10-4.  DePaul won the other five matches in straight sets.  Moncada defeated Shideler at the top of the order 6-1, 6-1 while Graetz downed Lau 6-1, 6-2.  Grgec was a 6-2, 6-1 winner against Wagner while Jozwiak topped Litscher 6-1, 6-0.  Hartman defeated Brunette 6-3, 6-1.

            “We are still trying to find our way strategically in singles play,” Daugherty concluded with.

            Valparaiso (0-3) will look to bounce back on Sunday morning against Eastern Illinois.  First serve is set for 9:30 a.m. in Champaign, Ill.