NEWBERG, Ore.- Cody Pickar earned his first win of his senior season but Linfield fell 6-1 at George Fox Saturday.
 
Linfield played competitive tennis in other flights as well and showed overall improvement after being shut out by the defending Northwest Conference champions in the first meeting between the cross-county rivals on February 14.
 
"Playing all conference teams twice is something new for these guys," said head coach Todd Mansfield. "I love it because it gives us a chance to measure our growth. Today I saw our hard work is paying off."
 
George Fox improved to 7-1 in Northwest Conference action while Linfield fell to 2-6 in league.
 
DOUBLES
The Bruins managed to sweep the day's doubles action but had to do so via tiebreak, as 2024 doubles All-American Zach Moore and partner Keita Shoji barely escaped with a win at No. 2 doubles following a determined effort by Matous Young and Cameron Paulsen with the George Fox duo hanging on 7-6 (7-3).
 
George Fox had clinched the day's doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 singles with Lars Schmassman and Ikuho Ebisu beating Rogue Stone and Brooks Lerfald 6-1 at No. 1 and Jackson Whittaker and Joseph Vece winning 6-2 against Pickar and Nick Owens.
 
SINGLES
Pickar's win at No. 6 was a breakthrough moment on the season for the senior as he collected his first victory in over a calendar year and his first in five appearances in the lineup this season.
 
The win also gave the Wildcats something to cheer for after dropping the first five singles flights. Linfield did see a competitive three-set effort from Paulsen at No. 3 singles, but he eventually fell by three set ten-point tiebreak to Ebisu 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
 
It was a similar story to when the two met in February, Ebisu also taking that contest in three sets.
 
"Cody's win and Cameron's second three-setter against Ebisu were two of the big stars of the day," said Mansfield.
 
In the No. 1 flight Schmassman beat Lerfald 6-1, 6-2 while Moore beat Stone 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2.
 
Abhi Acharya tried to bounce back in his second set but fell short to eventually see Shoji win 6-0, 6-3 at No. 3, and Whittaker beat Young 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5.
 
"The rest of the group had great moments that didn't show up in the score but as a coach I saw it and I liked it," said Mansfield. "I feel very good heading to California for some amazing competition over spring break."
 
NEXT
The Wildcats next take a two-week break from NWC action to visit southern California over Linfield's spring break.
 
Linfield's next match will be at Whittier on March 24 at noon. The 'Cats then play a doubleheader on March 26 at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks at 10 a.m. before driving north to play Irvine Valley College at 5 p.m.
 
The road trip wraps up March 27 at Redlands, the No. 20 ranked team in NCAA Division III by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
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