PORTLAND, Ore. – Visiting Whitworth was able to jump out to a 3-1 lead, but Lewis & Clark came from behind for a 5-4 win in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Saturday.

The Pirates (2-14 overall, 2-3 NWC) saw their NWC playoff hopes take a hit, while the Pioneers (7-3, 5-2) solidified their chances.

Whitworth won two of the three doubles matches.  After L&C won at #2 doubles, Payton Romey and Cameron Brewer delivered an 8-4 win over Miles Stone and Bennett Gazor at #3 doubles.  Ethan Violette and Nathan Tjelle topped Kristian Peev and Logan Hausler 8-5 at #1 doubles.

Ethan Warring raced to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Hausler at #3 singles to give Whitworth the 3-1 lead.  But then the Pioneers won the next four singles matches to clinch the team victory, beginning with Peev's 6-0, 6-4 win over Violette at #1 singles.

Romey fell 6-4, 6-1 to Alberto Dos Santos at #4 and then Matt Chio beat Jonathan Hutley 6-2, 6-3 at #2 singles for a 4-3 lead for L&C.

Stone clinched the team victory with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Tjelle at #5.  Brewer rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-0) win at #6 for the final Whitworth point.

The Pirates will complete their trip to Oregon at Linfield on Sunday.