WALLA WALLA Wash. – Although putting together a competitive showing in most of their matches the Linfield Wildcats found themselves on the wrong of a Sunday shutout for the Northwest Conference leading Whitman Blues.
The 'Cats battled up and down the ladder and narrowly missed out on the day's doubles point thanks to a win at No. 2, but were unable to take a team point from the Blues.
Whitman moved to 5-2 overall and 5-0 in the NWC, the only remaining team unbeaten in league play. Linfield fell to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in conference.
DOUBLES
The highlight of the day for the Wildcats was their lone win of the match at No. 2 doubles where
Abhi Acharya and
Alexander Rosenquist teamed up for their first victory of the year together.
Acharya and Rosenquist were able to take a solid 6-4 win over Whitman's Charles Rush and Artem Manov. Both Wildcats picked up their second doubles win overall on the season.
Linfield also saw a hard-nosed effort put together at No. 1 doubles by
Brooks Lerfald and
Rogue Stone as they pushed the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's No. 16 ranked doubles team in Division III to the brink.
But it was Whitman's Alexander Stage and Noah Baker eventually coming out on top to take a 7-5 win at the top of the scorecard. Their win clinched the doubles point for the Blues after Alejandro Raffo and Jackson Wurzer outlasted
Matous Young and
Cameron Paulsen 6-4.
SINGLES
At the top of the lineup it was Stage, in his second year at Whitman after transferring from Division I Wayne State, earning a third straight win with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Lerfald.
Stone faced a tough task at No. 2 against a rested Lucas Huang, a First Team all-NWC honoree last season. He was unable to maintain pace with Huang eventually winning 6-0, 6-2.
In the third flight of the day Rosenquist kept things close early against Manov but the final score favored Whitman's No. 3 in the end 6-4, 6-2, while Raffo blanked Paulsen at No. 4.
Acharya also had to play a rested opponent at No. 5 as Braeden Thomas picked up his team-leading fourth singles win of the year for Whitman with a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Linfield junior.
At No. 6 Baker completed the singles sweep for Whitman with a 6-2, 6-2 win against
Cody Pickar.
NEXT
The Wildcats are back in McMinnville on Saturday, March 8 to host the 2-2 Pacific Boxers, who have played all their matches this season against NWC opponents.
Linfield then begins an eight-match stretch on the road starting Sunday at Willamette. Both matches being at 11 a.m.
