SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth swept all six singles matches on the way to an 8-1 win over visiting Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Saturday afternoon at the Scotford Tennis Center.
The Pirates won their fifth straight match to improve to 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the NWC. The Pioneers dropped to 0-7, 0-6.
L&C earned its only point when Gillian Lowe and Lisa Osepyan edged Saryn Mooney and Jessi Steele 8-5 at #2 doubles. But by that time the Pirates had already taken the first two doubles points. Alli Marshall and Erica Bosman defeated Olivia Sweetman and Jill Coleman 8-3 at #1. Claire Hemming and Siri Carlson ran away from Justine Minette and Esa Grigsby 8-1 at #3 doubles.
Because of the nice weather the teams were able to use all six courts (three indoor and three outdoor) for the singles matches.
Marshall earned the first win for the Bucs, defeating Osepyan 6-2, 6-0 at #1 singles. Hemming gave the Pirates a 4-1 lead when she followed quickly with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Grigsby at #6 singles.
Bosman clinched the team victory for Whitworth with her 6-4, 6-1 win over Coleman at #2. Steele mirrored that score with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Sweetman at #4.
The final two singles matches were hard-fought matches. Whitworth's Mooney rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5) win over Lowe at #3. Carlson pulled a similar comeback win over Minette, winning 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) at #5.
Whitworth head coach Jo Ann Wagstaff earned career victory number 299 on Saturday. She will have the opportunity to claim her 300th career win when the Pirates travel to Willamette (Friday) and Linfield (Saturday) next weekend.
