SALEM and MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield completed a mixed venue doubleheader with mixed results Sunday to wrap up a grueling three-match weekend that saw several Wildcats forced to the bench due to illness.
After opening Northwest Conference play Saturday with a win at Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, the Wildcats traveled south Sunday morning to visit Willamette at 9 a.m. before returning home to host Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent California Lutheran at 2:30.
Linfield (2-2, 2-0) began the day sweeping Willamette (0-2, 0-2) 7-0 to secure the program's first 2-0 start to league competition since 2010, before falling to Cal Lutheran (2-1, 0-0) 4-2.
DOUBLES VS WILLAMETTE
The Wildcats immediately put themselves in line for their second sweep in as many days by taking all three doubles flights but faced pressure from the Bearcats throughout.
"I told the guys before the match, 'this isn't the same old Willamette,'" said head coach
Todd Mansfield. "Coach Sam [Fecetau] has done a great job improving this program and if we didn't prepare mentally and focus, we would be in trouble."
In the top flight seniors
Brooks Lerfald and
Zac Nakajima won 6-3 against AJ Avansino and Hudson Snyder to improve to 2-2 as Linfield's No. 1 team, but the Wildcats were forced to win a seventh game in both of the latter two doubles matches.
"We were lousy in doubles," said Mansfield. "I even had to tear the ears of one team, even though they were both sick. Fortunately, it worked. We swept again and put us in a great spot for singles where again health would play a factor."
Linfield managed to complete the doubles sweep with 7-5 wins by
Cameron Paulsen and
Joey Henderson against Baily Livengood and Jake Bronson and
Nick Owens and
Alexander Rosenquist over Jack Hally and Luca Casano.
SINGLES VS WILLAMETTE
The Wildcats were able to quickly set themselves up to clinch early thanks to strong play at No. 4 and No. 5 singles by Paulsen against Hally and
Gavin Orozco over Livengood, both winning 6-2, 6-2 to set the match score at 3-0.
"Cam and Gavin had a great morning," said Mansfield. "They are both playing well right now. Clicking on all cylinders."
Linfield clinched their best start to NWC play not long after as Lerfald earned a comfortable win at the top of the ladder against Avansino 6-2, 6-3 to put the score at 4-0.
"Brooks showed why he is a top returning player with a strong showing against their No. 1," said Mansfield. "When he is that kind of form, he is hard to beat."
But from there Linfield was challenged to complete the sweep. Henderson managed to win in straight sets at No. 3 against Hudson 7-5, 6-4, while the final two flights went to three sets, played as 10-point tiebreakers with the Wildcat victory already secured.
At No. 2 Nakajima responded well to close out his match after dropping the second set, beating Bronson 6-3, 3-6, 10-4.
Brandon Tran was pressed into action due to his teammates' illness for a second straight day at No. 6 and stayed unbeaten in his career, coming from behind after narrowly dropping the first set to beat Jake Freeland 5-7, 6-3, 10-2.
"I'm most proud of the team for overcoming their own obstacles to grab the win and doing something that we haven't done in 15 years, and that's start 2-0 in conference," said Mansfield.
DOUBLES VS CAL LUTHERAN
After a brief warm-up following their return drive from Salem the Wildcats took their home court against the Kingsmen, a team that had beat them 7-0 last season.
"I didn't expect much because it was a doubleheader after a day in Tacoma and we were depleted with illness," said Mansfield. "I'm more focused on league matches and anything good in non-conference is icing on the cake. And then this happened."
The Wildcats showed their determination from the first serve and in the end won the doubles point with a 2-1 performance.
Although Pualsen and Henderson fell 6-2 at No. 2, they were quickly picked up by their teammates.
At No. 1 Lerfald and Nakajima stayed unbeaten playing together at the top of the scorecard, beating Ethan Sherwood and Maxence Faniel, before a young Linfield duo of Owens and Orozco clinched the point for the 'Cats against Toki Adachi and Matthew Goldstein.
"They didn't see this coming," said Mansfield. "The great crowd that had shown up got our boys fired up and adding that energy to their fire made it awesome to watch. Brooks and Zac were magic, but Nick and Gavin stole the show when they clinched the doubles point."
SINGLES VS CAL LUTHERAN
But from there a combination of illness and fatigue began to catch up to the 'Cats, as doubles play began with each team giving up a point due to forfeit in the top two matches, Lerfald having to retire at No. 1 and Cal Lutheran's Raphael Simon having to do the same at No. 2, giving Nakajima the win.
Nakajima's win would go on to be the only point the Wildcats picked up in singles. Henderson managed to force a tiebreak in his first set against Adachi at No. 3, but the Whittier transfer dropped the second frame as well to lose 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 and allow the Kingsmen to even the match score at 2-2.
"Losing Brooks early in his match with coughing pain really hurt," said Mansfield. "I knew we were in trouble, but the boys know our motto is 'No Excuses' and they gave none. Joey fought like hell but just couldn't overcome his opponent. He did however get some great compliments on his development from a coaching staff who had been watching him play in the SCIAC the last 3 years."
Cal Lutheran managed to win the day with strong play in the bottom half of the ladder, where Faniel beat Paulsen 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 and a rested Carlo Drewelow winning the clinching match at No. 5 6-0, 6-1 against Orozco.
"Cal Lutheran showed their depth today and were able to close us out," said Mansfield. "But I still felt amazing after the doubles win and great play of all my guys. Overall, a fantastic weekend."
NEXT
Linfield continues at home on Friday, February 20, returning to NWC action against reigning league champion Whitman (1-1, 1-0) at 11 a.m. The Wildcats then host the Whitworth Pirates the following morning.
