McMINNVILLE, Ore. – A surge in doubles that saw the No. 1 duo rally from a five-point deficit to win its flight proved the difference in an 8-1 victory by the Linfield Wildcats over the Willamette Bearcats on Sunday inside Rutschman Fieldhouse.
 
The outcome between the two Northwest Conference foes did not count on each team's conference record. For the Wildcats (1-0), it wrapped up the fall portion of their competitive schedule.
 
Doubles
A focused and efficient effort by the No. 3 pairing of Jacob Mangan and Cameron Ventura earned Linfield an 8-1 win over WU's Charles Pezeshki and Luke Hiserman. Linfields' Trent Prussing and Eric Rutherford outlasted Gene Perle-Jones and Colin Fisher 8-6 at No. 2.
 
In the top flight, Nathan Saragoza and Luis Rojas fell behind 6-1 before awakening and eventually overtaking the Bearcats' Aaron Schechter and Andrew Kabacy 8-7 (8-6).
 
"We need to work on being ready to play from the first serve and not making life more difficult for us," Wildcats coach Ben Belletto said in relief. "But I'm happy with the way we stayed with it and competed."
 
Singles
Saragoza pick up the Wildcats' initial point at No. 2 singles, blazing past Perle-Jones 6-0, 6-1. J.T. Barcellos turned in what Belletto described as a "beautiful, patient and efficient match," beating the Bearcats' Schechter 6-4, 6-3 at No. 4.
 
Prussing picked up a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3 over Fisher while Rutherford knocked off Hiserman 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5. Mangan clinched the match in Linfield's favor with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6.
 
Linfield's lone blemish came at No. 1 singles, where Rojas waged an intense battle against Kabacy before succumbing 6-2, 3-6, 1-0, 10-5.
 
"Luis competed hard after doing the first set," said Belletto, "but couldn't capitalize in the third set tiebreaker."
 
Next
The Wildcats are idle until resuming play in early February.