TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The Wabash College tennis team completed a perfect Sunday by earning a pair of victories in two cities, opening the day with a 4-3 nonconference win over Rose-Hulman in Terre Haute before rolling to a 7-0 North Coast Athletic Conference sweep at Wittenberg in Springfield, Ohio. The Little Giants showed depth and resilience across all six singles flights and six doubles pairings over the two-match stretch, improving their momentum heading into Friday's home rivalry match against DePauw at 4:30 p.m.
Wabash's first win of the day required a comeback effort after Rose-Hulman claimed the opening doubles flight. Tim Eckermann and Chris Lian edged Augusto Ghidini and Rafael Rin 7-5 at No. 1 doubles, but the Little Giants answered by taking the doubles point. Murilo Guarniari and Edmon Neto evened the match with a 6-3 win over Eli McIntyre and Ervin Perkowski at No. 2, and Tharakesh Ashokar teamed with Cole Shifferly for another 6-3 decision over Ephraim Guthrie and Andrew Leonard at No. 3 to send Wabash into singles with a 1-0 lead.
The Engineers responded with three straight singles victories to move within a point of the team win. Eckermann defeated Shifferly 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, Perkowski topped Rin 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2, and Guthrie outlasted Guarniari 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the pivotal No. 3 match.
Wabash's lower half of the lineup delivered the clinching push. Ghidini earned a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 victory over Lian at No. 4 singles to tie the match, Ashokar dominated McIntyre 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 to put the Little Giants ahead, and Neto sealed the 4-3 victory with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Renato Prado at No. 6.
A few hours later in Springfield, Wabash turned in one of its most complete conference performances of the season in a 7-0 sweep of Wittenberg.
The Tigers grabbed the No. 1 doubles flight as Christian Droz and Sam Garay slipped past Samuel Soto Garcia and Eduardo Werneck 7-5, but the Little Giants controlled the remaining courts to secure the doubles point. Faustino Dimuro and Eric Tien cruised to a 6-2 win over Benjamin Glassman and Daniel Patel at No. 2 doubles, while Blake Discher II and Will McArdle claimed the No. 3 flight by forfeit.
Singles play belonged entirely to Wabash. Soto Garcia opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Droz at No. 1, and Werneck followed with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Garay at No. 2. Dimuro added a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Glassman at No. 3, while Discher earned a 6-0, 6-1 win over Patel at No. 4.
The final two points came by forfeit, with Tien at No. 5 and McArdle at No. 6 both credited with victories to complete the shutout.
Wabash returns home Friday, April 3, for a 4:30 p.m. match against DePauw.
