SPOKANE, Wash. – Despite a strong start for the Wildcats at No. 1 doubles Linfield men's tennis fell at Whitworth Saturday, 6-1.
Brooks Lerfald and
Rogue Stone earned their first win as Linfield's top doubles tandem but the 'Cats dropped their other two doubles flights to lose the double's team point 2-1 and find themselves in an early hole.
Linfield fell to 1-4 on the season and 1-3 in the Northwest Conference while Whitworth picked up its second straight win to improve to 2-3 on the season and 2-2 in conference.
DOUBLES
It was a gritty battle at the top of the doubles card for Lerfald and Stone, facing Whitworth's No. 1 team of Matthew Morrison and Henry Preacher, who forced the Wildcat duo to an extra set for the 7-5 win.
It was just the second match that Lerfald and Stone have been paired together. They were able to complete the win despite knowing the doubles point had been lost with Whitworth coming out on top in efficient fashion at No. 2 and 3 doubles.
At No. 2 Matt Froslan and Ryan Ashley beat
Abhi Acharya and
Alexander Rosenquist 6-4 while Matt Hossack and Easton Weir blanked
Cameron Paulsen and
Matous Young 6-0.
SINGLES
The Wildcats' lone point of the match was scored by Acharya at No. 5 singles in the final match of the day to conclude. He was able to win in straight sets against Froslan but was forced to earn both by tiebreak to take the flight 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) for his second consecutive singles win.
Although putting up competitive efforts it proved to be a frustrating afternoon against the Pirates as Linfield was unable to win a set in the first five spots on the ladder.
At the top of the lineup Morrison beat Lerfald 6-4, 6-2 while Preacher pulled away from Rosenquist 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 2 contest.
Ashley clinched the day for Whitworth in the No. 3 flight against Paulsen 6-3, 7-5, setting the team score at 4-0, Pirates.
Whitworth recorded two more points with a 6-1, 6-4 win for Weir over Stone at No. 4 singles while Hossack beat Picaker 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6 six before the day's action concluded on a brighter note for Linfield with Achrya's victory.
NEXT
Linfield travels south to Walla Walla, Wash. tonight to face the Whitman Blues Sunday, March 2 at Bratton Indoor Tennis Center. The Blues sit in first in the NWC at 4-0 with a 4-1 record overall.
The 'Cats return home to host Pacific on March 8 in McMinnville. The Boxers have started the year 2-2, all their matches against conference opponents.
