MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield women's tennis resumed action Saturday hosting the Lewis & Clark Pioneers after a two week break between matches. The Northwest Conference foes played doubles inside Rutschman Fieldhouse before moving outdoors for singles once the late-morning weather had warmed.
The Pios won 7-0 in a sweep of the day's action to move to 7-8 overall and 5-5 in the NWC. The Wildcats continued to be hampered by injuries, and with just five active players forced to forfeit two team score points at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.
Linfield fell to 1-9 on the season against conference opponents.
DOUBLES
With one point in their pocket the Pioneers quickly clinched the day's doubles point with a shutout 6-0 win for Hayley Kreps and Kacie Lau against Linfield freshmen duo
Sundi King and Lillianna Cano.
Lewis & Clark swept doubles play with a 6-1 win in the No. 1 match for Susanna Andand, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's 32
nd ranked player in Division III, and partner Charlotte Makoni over Linfield's lead team of
Emma Tuttle and
Kaitlynn Canubida.
SINGLES
Both Tuttle and Canubida gave strong efforts for the Wildcats at the top of the ladder, but both lost in third-set 10-point tiebreakers. Tiebreakers were played in lieu of both third sets after the Pioneers quickly clinched with wins in the No.'s 3, 4 and 5 flights by rested players that sat through doubles action.
Lewis & Clark took shutout 6-0, 6-0 wins for Allison Gabelman over King at No. 3 and Anna English against Cano at No. 4.
Elise Reese managed to win a game in the second set of the No. 5 contest that eventually ended in a 6-0, 6-1 victory for Maya Curry that clinched the match for the Pios at 4-0.
At No. 1 singles Tuttle took the opening set against Makoni but dropped the second, leading to the 10-point third set. Makoni eventually took the flight 2-6, 6-3, 10-5.
Canubida nearly won a point for the 'Cats with a comeback effort at No. 2, shutting out Kreps in the second set after dropping the first. But in the end, it was the Pioneer senior just barely outlasting Linfield's standout sophomore to win 6-3, 0-6, 11-9 to complete the sweep for Lewis & Clark.
NEXT
Linfield stays in McMinnville Sunday to host the Puget Sound Loggers at 12:00 p.m. The Wildcats' lone win of the year came at Puget Sound on February 23.
The 'Cats then travel to Spokane, Wash. on April 6 to play Whitworth before hosting Pacific in their final home match of the year April 12.
