SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth men's tennis team pushed conference title-contending Pacific hard before falling 6-3 in a Northwest Conference match on Saturday afternoon at the Scotford Tennis Center.

The Pirates dropped to 3-10 overall and 3-6 in the NWC while the visiting Boxers improved to 11-4, 7-1.

Whitworth took an early lead by grabbing two of the three doubles matches.  Drew Brigham and Shane Sandlin defeated Grayson Frazier and Reuben Mulhern 8-6 at #1 doubles.  Meanwhile Caleb Hughes and Drew Adams pulled out a 9-8 decision over Clark Wininger and Josh Bernstein at #3 doubles. 

Pacific got its only doubles point when Giancarlo Battaglia and Oscar Wight topped Whitworth's Matt Goebel and Blake Miller 8-3 at #2.

The Boxers regrouped and won five of the six singles contests.  Whitworth got its only singles win at #6 where Hughes came from behind to defeat Wight 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-2). 

One other match went more than two sets.  Bernstein got by Adams 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 at #4 in a match that ultimately determined the team win.

At the top of the ladder Battaglia pulled out a close two-set decision over Brigham 7-5, 6-3. 

Whitworth will take on Willamette University on Sunday at 10:00 am in another Northwest Conference contest.