SPOKANE, Wash. – All three doubles matches went an extra game, and two of those matches went to visiting Lewis & Clark. The Pioneers used those points to spark a 7-2 win over the Pirates in the Northwest Conference men's tennis opener for both schools on Saturday morning in the Scotford Tennis Center.
Lewis & Clark improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the NWC while Whitworth dropped to 0-3, 0-1.
Both teams were pushed to the limit from the get-go as all six doubles players had to work an extra game. Shane Sandlin and Caleb Hughes were Whitworth's only winners in doubles play, pulling out the 9-8 win over Harrison Collins and Keane Hindle at 3rd doubles. Sandlin and Hughes are unbeaten as a doubles pair this season.
Drew Adams and Drew Brigham fell to Kevin Ross and Raed Attia 9-8 at #1 doubles while Jhun Gumboc and Blake Miller were beaten by Brenden and Gordon Barrows at #2.
The Pirates briefly tied the match 2-2 when Brigham defeated Attia 6-4, 6-3 at #1 singles. It was Brigham's first individual win of the season.
But L&C won the next five matches to pull away. Two of them went three full sets. Daniel Hahm edged Layne Ryerson 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 at #3 singles. And Pim Trouerbach rallied to defeat Gumboc 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-4) at #6 singles.
The other three matches were all two-set wins for L&C.
Whitworth will look for its first win of 2016 on Sunday when George Fox pays a visit.
