CLEVELAND – The Bald Eagles and host-Cleveland State each won five bouts in their Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) dual today, but in the end, the Vikings slipped by the Lock Haven University wrestling team, 18-16.
 
Lock Haven (4-9, 1-1 EWL) got wins from nationally-ranked Fred Garcia (Donora, Pa./Ringgold), Phil Sprenkle (Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown), Cody Wheeler (Towanda, Pa./Towanda), Bobby Rehm (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) and Dillon Gavlock (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain), but it wasn't enough to spark Lock Haven to its second straight EWL win.
 
The biggest difference in the match's outcome was No. 17 Ben Willeford's pin at 125 for the Vikings (4-2, 1-2 EWL).
 
After Tyler Wood (West Chester, Pa./West Chester-Rustin) dropped a hard-fought decision at 174 in the day's opening bout, the Bald Eagles bounced right back, thanks to a win from Garcia.
 
Garcia, ranked 28^th nationally beat Xavier Dye, 12-8 to tie the match at 3-3.
 
Sprenkle's 5-1 win made it two in a row for LHU and put The Haven up 6-3.
 
For the second time in three days 285-poudner Brad Emerick (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Coughlin) pushed a top-33 ranked wrestler the limit, but in the end Emerick fell 6-4 in sudden victory.
 
Following Cleveland State's win at 285, Willeford picked up a pin at 125 to put the Vikings up 12-6.
 
Wheeler and Rehm's back-to-back wins at 133, and 141 put Lock Haven back in front, 13-12. Wheeler majored Alfredo Gray 11-2 and Rehm won 6-4.
 
CSU scored a big upset-win at 149 and won at 157, pushing the team score to 18-13.
 
Gavlock did all he could to help LHU try and mount the comeback, but his hard-fought 6-5 victory at 165 wasn't enough to help LHU overcome the Vikings in the team score.
 
Lock Haven returns to action next Saturday, January 31 at No. 6 Cornell (6:30 p.m.).
 
Cleveland State 18 – Lock Haven 16
*match started at 174
174: Gabe Stark (CSU) dec. Tyler Wood (LHU) 4-1 (CSU, 3-0)
184: #28 Fred Garcia (LHU) dec. Xavier Dye (CSU) 12-8 (Tie, 3-3)
197: Phil Sprenkle (LHU) dec. Nick Corba (CSU) 5-1 (LHU, 6-3)
285: #15 Riley Shaw (CSU) dec. Brad Emerick (LHU) SV 6-4 (Tie, 6-6)
125: #17 Ben Willeford (CSU) pins Jake Field (LHU) 1:59 (CSU, 12-6)
133: Cody Wheeler (LHU) maj. dec. Alfredo Gray (CSU) 11-2 (CSU, 12-10)
141: Bobby Rehm (LHU) dec. Mike Carlone (CSU) 6-4 (LHU 13-12)
149: Nick Montgomery (CSU) dec. #28 Dan Neff (LHU) 5-2 (CSU 15-13)
157: LaTrell Davis (CSU) dec. Elias Biddle (LHU) 7-3, (CSU, 18-13)
165: Dillon Gavlock (LHU) dec. Matt Donohoe (CSU) 6-5, (CSU 18-16)
 
Lock Haven (4-9, 1-1 EWL)
Cleveland State (4-2, 1-2 EWL)