Men's Tennis | 3/10/2013 11:05:00 AM

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The West Liberty University men's tennis team outlasted Winston-Salem State, 5-4, here Saturday morning in a marathon match at the WSSU Tennis Center.
    Coach Sam McCullough's Hilltoppers (4-1) won two of the three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead into singles play.
    West Liberty's Guilherme Lima and Alex Hayden, who had teamed up for a win at No. 3 doubles, breezed to straight-set victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles but Winston-Salem State posted wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles – two of which went the three-set distance – to even the count.
    The difference came at No. 1 singles where the Hilltoppers' Ivan Irazabal bounced back from a 6-3 loss in the opening set to beat the Rams' Josh Aubrey by scores of 6-2 and 6-4 in the last two sets to complete the win. Irazabal and Raphael Machado had combined for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles.
    The West Liberty team will spend spring break competing in the Hilton Head (S.C.) Invitational. The Hilltoppers' first match is set for 8 a.m. Monday against Michigan Tech.
 
MEN'S TENNIS
West Liberty 5, Winston-Salem State 4
Singles
Ivan Irazabal (WLU) d. Josh Aubrey, 3-6 6-2 6-4
Creighton Jones (WSSU) d. Raphael Machado, 6-7 7-6 6-1
Jonathan Aubrey (WSSU) d. Vinnie Guarda, 6-1 6-1
Corey Bonnette (WSSU) d. Darren Liebenberg, 6-3 4-6 6-2
Guilherme Lima (WLU) d. Chris Jeter, 6-1 6-1
Alex Hayden (WLU) d. Drew Dunzweiler, 6-2 6-2
Doubles
Irazabal/Machado (WLU) d. Jones/Aubrey, 8-4   
Bonnette/Aubrey (WSSU) d. Lima/Guarda, 8-3
Liebenberg/Hayden (WLU) d. Dunzweiler/Jeter, 8-1