By Jayme Ramson

Assistant Sports Editor

The Bowling Green tennis team went undefeated in two weekend matches, shutting out Wright State, 7-0, on Friday, and defeating Butler, 5-2, on Saturday.

Their weekend success helped the Falcons improve their season record to 4-4. Bowling Green will play in its first Mid-American Conference match on Friday against Toledo.

Against Wright State the Falcons duplicated the success that they had against Youngstown State earlier this season. The Falcons got straight-set wins at every singles flight and also won all three doubles matches.

“I think that our singles were some of the best matches we’ve played this season,” BG coach Penny Dean said. “Against Wright State, even some of those matches were tough and we grinded them out. Against Butler, everybody’s matches were hard and we lost the doubles point and you’re going into the singles with a handicap knowing you’ve got to pull off four points in the singles. Everybody finished off their matches.”

Susie Schoenberger defeated Marie Craig 6-3, 6-0 at the top flight while Alyson Gabel defeated Maggie Jacobs, 6-1, 6-1 at the second flight. Gaby Coello, Cameron Benjamin, Heidi Romer and Lindsey Mix won at the third through sixth flights for the Falcons.

In doubles, Schoenberger teamed up with Lisa Maloney to defeat Craig and Kara Dunbar, 8-5. Benjamin and Jessica Johnson defeated Jacobs and Kyana Jackson, 8-3 at the no. 2 doubles flight. Andrea Meister and Laura Kokinda teamed up at the third flight to shut-out Jennifer Bagby and Megan Laux, 8-0.

Against Butler, the Falcons won their fourth match of the season and moved within a win of matching last year’s five-win total.

Butler took an early lead, winning the doubles point when two of Bowling Green’s doubles teams lost their matches.

Maloney and Schoenberger fell to Christina Laun and Alaina Griffin, 8-3, while Benjamin and Johnson fell to Tayo Bailey and Laurel Clements, 8-4. Bowling Green’s lone doubles win came from Gabel and Coello who defeated Lisa Valle and Annie Gantz, 8-3.

Bowling Green rallied back to capture five of six singles matches. “It’s tough to come back after losing the doubles point and win the singles because to win the match you know you have to win four more singles matches whereas if you win the doubles point you know you just have to split 3-3,” Dean said. “For the players that were in the doubles it’s tough to get psyched up again for singles after losing the doubles. It’s tough to get yourself turned around mentally. But everyone was able to do that.”

Schoenberger won at the no. 1 singles flight, 6-3, 6-1, against Laun. Gabel came from behind to defeat Griffin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Maloney played at the no. 3 singles flight and defeated Bailey, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Coello extended her match to three sets before falling to Clements. Other singles winners for BG were Benjamin and Romer, both in straight sets.