SPOKANE, Wash. – The Linfield women's tennis team took a narrow 5-4 loss Saturday at the hands of the Whitworth Pirates in Scotford Tennis Center.
 
Trailing 2-1 after doubles, the Wildcats (2-3, 1-2) battled to three wins in singles to bring the match down to the final flight.
 
But it was the Pirates (4-4, 2-1) who came out on top as Ashley Judson outlasted Lisa Ponti in the third set at No. 6 singles to clinch the win 5-4 for Whitworth.
 
DOUBLES
Linfield's first win of the day came in short order at No. 2 doubles as Alexis Garner and Kaitlynn Canubida cruised to an 8-1 win in just 38 minutes over Whitworth's Judson and Paige Oliver.
 
It was a continuation of strong play for Garner and Canubida as they won their fifth match in a row, improving to 5-1 on the season as a duo.
 
At No. 1 doubles, Sarah Forester and Emma Tuttle fell to Clara Todd and Gracie Smyley 8-5, while Whitworth's Meredith Bedford and Jordan Turner beat Ponti and Samantha Baltz in the third flight 8-3.
 
SINGLES
In singles the 'Cats and the Pirates proved to be equally matched, with four of the six flights reaching a third set and the remaining being split one apiece between the two teams.
 
In the top singles contest Forester responded in the second set against Smyley after falling in the first, but was in the end was defeated 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
 
At No. 2 singles Tuttle improved to 4-2 on the season after winning a grueling, two hour and 10-minute match with Oliver. Oliver took the first set by a 7-5 tiebreak, before Tuttle responded to take the second and subsequently blanking Oliver in the third to win 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-0.
 
Linfield tied the match at 3 wins apiece in No. 3 singles as Canubida also won in three sets, facing a rested Natalie Budge for Whitworth. Canubida opened with a win before Budge responded in the second, but Canubida pulled away in the third to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
 
The Pirates regained the lead at No. 4 doubles with Turner beating Garner 6-3, 6-3 before Baltz managed to tie the match again with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over Todd at No. 5.
 
Baltz is now 4-2 on her freshman season.
 
Whitworth clinched the match in a battle of stamina between Judson and Ponti in the sixth flight. Despite Ponti taking the opening set via tiebreak, Judson responded by taking the next two to win 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0.
 
NEXT
The Wildcats now travel south to Walla Walla play the Whitman Blues (6-3, 2-0) tomorrow, Sunday, March 10 at Bratton Indoor Tennis Center.
 
The Blues are ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the No. 40 team in Divison-III.
 
Linfield will then spend 10 days idle before taking a break from Northwest Conference play by hosting Wesleyan College on March 21 and visiting Occidental and Point Loma Nazarene in California on March 27 and 28. Read Full Article