BARTLESVILLE, Okla. -- The John Brown University men's tennis team secured a dominant 6-1 victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday morning (Feb. 15) at Bartlesville High School, picking up its fourth win of the season and sweeping OKWU in the season series.
Oklahoma Wesleyan (0-3) struck first in doubles, as Nathan Bartlett and Owen Harrison claimed a 6-4 win at the third slot over sophomore Andrew Aylor and junior Jonathan Hillock. John Brown quickly responded at the top spot, where sophomore Brady Dick and junior Spencer Keeter took a tight 7-5 decision over Richard Hoyte and Preston Callahan. With the doubles point on the line, sophomore Negad Ezzat and freshman Lucas Machado clinched it for JBU in a tiebreak, outlasting Raphael Alvado and Manuel Espinal 7-6 (7-3) at the second slot.
The Golden Eagles (4-3) carried that momentum into singles play, securing four wins in straight sets. Keeter set the tone at the third flight, cruising past Callahan 6-2, 6-1 to put JBU ahead 2-0. Ezzat extended the lead at the top spot, edging Hoyte 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). Dick followed with a three-set victory at the second flight, overcoming a second-set slip to defeat Alvado 7-5, 2-6, 10-4.
Oklahoma Wesleyan earned its lone point at the fourth slot, where Machado fell in a third-set super tiebreak, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7, to Espinal. Hillock and junior Hayes Stark capped off the Golden Eagles' win with straight-set performances at the sixth and fifth spots, respectively. Hillock dispatched Harrison 6-4, 6-2, while Stark wrapped up the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Bartlett.
John Brown returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 22) when the Golden Eagles take on Evangel (Mo.) at the Cooper Tennis Complex at 1 p.m.
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