SWX Right Now-Sports News for Washington and IdahoWhitworth men's tennis loses third close call to NWC contender

Whitworth men's tennis loses third close call to NWC contender

SPOKANE, Wash. - For the third time this season the Whitworth University men's tennis team dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to a Northwest Conference title contender. Tonight is was a squeaker against league-leading Willamette as the visiting Bearcats came from a 2-1 deficit after the doubles to pull out the one-point decision.

Willamette improved to 6-2 overall and 6-2 in the NWC, while Whitworth fell to 2-7, 2-3. The Bucs had previously dropped 5-4 matches to Pacific Lutheran and Linfield.

Whitworth looked like it had a shot at knocking off Willamette after taking two of three doubles. The Pirates' Michael Shelton and Colin Zalewski topped Cody Ferguson and Joshua Wong 8-5 at #1 doubles just as Cameron Williams and Joe Wales were beating Michael Baumgartner and Luke Lagattuta 8-5 at #2 doubles.

In what turned out to be a pivotal point of the match, Micah Mack and Matthew Houser of Willamette managed to pull out a 9-7 win over Henry Williams and Colin Barrett at #3 doubles.

The Bearcats took two of the top three singles matches to tie the contest. Whitworth's Shelton rebounded from a poor first set to defeat Baumgartner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 at #1 singles. But Willamette's Ferguson edged Zalewski 7-6 (5), 6-2 at #2 and Wong beat Cameron Williams 6-1, 6-2 at #3.

The bottom half of the singles ladder would decide the match. Houser beat Wales 6-3, 6-4 to give Willamette a one point lead. But Whitworth's Kellen Oetgen tied the match back up with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Mack.

The team score finally came down to #5 singles where Lagattuta pulled out a 6-4, 6-4 win over Henry Williams.

Willamette will take on fellow NWC-unbeaten Whitman on Saturday. Whitworth will look to rebound when the Pirates host Lewis & Clark at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Pirates will then host the Community Colleges of Spokane in an exhibition match.