ASHLAND, Va. – Trevor Cox of Guilford won the deciding match over Randolph-Macon senior Michael Baxter (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) at No. 3 singles in a third-set tie-breaker as the sixth-seeded Quakers edged the third-seeded Yellow Jackets 5-4 Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the ODAC Men's Tennis Championship at the Banks Tennis Center.
The Yellow Jackets had their eight-game win streak snapped and finished the season with a 12-7 mark.
With the match tied at 4-4, Baxter trailed 3-2 in the third set before winning two straight games to take a 4-3 advantage. Cox tied it at 4-4 before Baxter, battling leg cramps, reclaimed the lead a 5-4. Cox again knotted the score at 5-5 before Baxter forged ahead 6-5. Cox evened the match at 6-6, forcing the tie-breaker.
Cox jumped ahead 5-1 in the tie-breaker, but Baxter won four straight points to level the score at 5-5. Cox was able to claim the final two points to give the match to the Quakers.
Guilford won two of the three doubles points to take the early lead. Sophomore John Adam (Vienna, Va./James Madison) and freshman Brantley Stein (Virginia Beach, Va./Norfolk Academy) were victorious at No. 2 doubles for R-MC by a score of 8-4.
Junior Connor Hoerr (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) recorded a straight-set win at No. 2 singles (6-2, 6-3) to even the match at 2-2. Guilford won at No. 1 singles to take a 3-2 advantage. Adam posted a three-set victory at No. 4 singles (4-6, 6-0, 6-3) to tie the match at 3-3.
R-MC took a 4-3 advantage when junior Ira Usry (Columbia, S.C./Hammond) won in straight sets at No. 6 singles (7-5, 6-0). The Quakers recorded a three-set victory at No. 5 singles before the win by Cox gave them the match.
#6 Guilford 5, #3 Randolph-Macon 4
Singles
1. Turner Votipka (GC) def. Ryan Byrd (R-MC) 6-0, 6-4
2. Connor Hoerr (R-MC) def. Erik Meiler (GC) 6-2, 6-3
3. Trevor Cox (GC) def. Michael Baxter (R-MC) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6
4. John Adam (R-MC) def. Aaron Smedley (GC) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
5. Mason Church (GC) def. Brantley Stein (R-MC) 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
6. Ira Usry (R-MC) def. Blake Brown (GC) 7-5, 6-0
Doubles
1. Turner Votipka/Erik Meiler (GC) def. Ryan Byrd/Michael Baxter (R-MC) 8-4
2. John Adam/Brantley Stein (R-MC) def. Trevor Cox/Aaron Smedley (GC) 8-4
3. Levi Bruff/Mason Church (GC) def. Connor Hoerr/Ira Usry (R-MC) 8-3
Match Notes:
Guilford 7-10
Randolph-Macon 12-7
