Rajes Clinches Victory with Win at No. 1 Singles

CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- The Washington College men's tennis team, ranked 19th in the Atlantic South region, opened its dual-match schedule with a 6-3 non-conference win over visiting Goucher this afternoon inside the Johnson Fitness Center. 

The Shoremen got on the board first when sophomore Zachary Novick (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Township) and freshman Justin Panepinto (Cary, N.C./Middle Creek) defeated John Bescoby and Midori Fujitani at No. 3 doubles, 8-4. Goucher (2-2) evened the score with an 8-6 win by Joey Caracappa and Seth Hoesman at No. 1.

Washington took a 2-1 lead when sophomore Jeremy Novick (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Township) and senior Ryan Holtschneider (Kingsville, Md./Perry Hall) came back from a 6-1 deficit to win the final seven games of an 8-6 victory over Jack Hodges and Britt Shortle at No. 2. Hodges and Shortle had won six straight games earlier in the match after the Shoremen tandem had taken a 1-0 lead.

Goucher evened the score at 2-2 when Hodges completed a 6-1, 7-5, win over Holtschneider at No. 3 singles. The Shoremen regained the lead via Jeremy Novick's 6-2, 6-2, win against Fujitani at No. 4. Washington pushed the advantage to 4-2 courtesy of a quick 6-0, 6-1, win by Zachary Novick against Shorte at No. 5. Rajes clinched the match for Washington with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, victory against Hoesman at No. 1. Caracappa picked up the Gophers' third point with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5), win over Boaté at No. 2. Panepinto provided the final margin with his 6-1, 6-3, win against Josh Goldberg at No. 6.

The Shoremen return to action March 11th with a 9:00 a.m. match in Tampa, Fla., against Daemen.