MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Falling in a tightly contested, one-win match for the third straight contest, the Linfield men's tennis team lost 5-4 Sunday morning hosting Colorado College.
 
"Another 4-5 result is frustrating from a competitor's standpoint, but we did some really good things today," said head coach Alex Martin.
 
"This was a really tight match. We lost a tiebreaker in doubles and two three-setters. It could've just as easily been 7-2 for us but unfortunately Colorado won the points they needed to win."
 
Sunday's match dropped Linfield to 2-8 overall while the Tigers improved to 3-5 on the season.
 
DOUBLES
The Wildcats came out strong in doubles, taking two out of three flights, with one win and one loss ending in tiebreaks.
 
"We had great energy in doubles and were a point or two away from sweeping," said Martin.
 
The No. 1 flight was the lone doubles loss for Linfield, with Saiga Wilhelm and Nick Gabelman falling 8-7, dropping the tiebreaker just 7-5, to Colorado's Aiden Little and Jack Delafield.
 
Although the No. 2 flight ended in just a two-game win for the 'Cats, it was still the least-narrow contest of doubles play as Seth Lee and Rogue Stone beat Nate Beerman and Andrew Kaelin 8-6.
 
"Seth and Rogue were solid at No. 2, and really become a dependable team at the two line, while Nick and Willy are getting better and better with every match they play together," said Martin.
 
Lee and Stone are now a team-best 4-1 as a duo this season.
 
The 'Cats took the No. 3 flight thanks in part by the return to the court of senior Blake Fuentes Gilbert, playing in his first action since Feb. 2 due to injury.
 
Fuentes Gilbert was paired with freshman Brooks Lerfald for the second time this season, and the duo edged out Nick Bishop and August Knox 8-7 with a 7-4 tiebreaker to set the 'Cats up with a 2-1 lead going into singles.
 
"It was great to have Blake back from injury and while we're bringing him back slowly, it was awesome to see him on court helping the team," said Martin. "He and Brooks were able to shake off the rust and figure out a way to grind out their match."
 
SINGLES
Singles proved to be as competive as doubles between the two teams, but the Tigers were able to knock off the Wildcats in four flights, Linfield only winning at No. 1 and No. 5.
 
Saiga cruised to his third straight win in the top-flight, beating Little 6-1, 6-2 to improve to a 6-1 record as Linfield's No. 1.
 
In the No. 5 flight freshman Alexander Rosenquist also picked up his third straight win to move to 5-5 on the year with a win over Delafield.
 
Rosenquist was forced to respond after dropping the first set 7-6 in a 7-5 tiebreaker and did by taking the second 6-4 before winning the contest in a 10-point tiebreaker, 10-7, in lieu of a full third set.
 
"In singles we had great matches from Willy and Alexander," said Martin. "They both had great game plans and were able to execute and compete against some quality opponents."
 
The No. 2 singles flight featured a comeback effort from Stone that fell short in a grueling 2 hour and 30 minute battle with Colorado's Lucas Pastor.
 
Stone initially dropped the first set 6-2 but responded with a win in the second and fighting to a third set tiebreaker that Pastor took 7-4 to win the flight 6-2, 4-6, 7-6.
 
"Rogue has really worked hard the past few weeks to find his game and today was a reward for that work," said Martin. "He nearly got the outcome he wanted but he played a really good match regardless."
 
The No. 3 flight also featured a three-set match that went the way of the Tigers, with Beerman beating Lerfald 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
 
Lee fell in the No. 4 to Knox 6-4, 6-1 while Matous Young lost the day's final flight to Kaelin 6-1, 6-2.
 
NEXT
Linfield resumes Northwest Conference play next Sunday, April 2 for the first of back-to-back conference matches at home, looking to improve their 1-3 NWC mark. The Wildcats host Puget Sound (4-3, 2-1) at 11:00.
 
The Pacific Boxers come to town for the final home match of the year on April 8 before Linfield concludes the regular season April 15 at Lewis and Clark.
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