LINFIELD 7, GEORGE FOX 2: Four Tiebreaker Wins in Singles Lift Wildcats by Bruins

NEWBERG, Ore. - After winning the three doubles matches to take an early lead, Linfield College won tiebreakers in four different sets in the top three singles that carried the visiting Wildcats to a 7-2 win over the George Fox University Bruins in a hard-fought Northwest Conference men’s tennis match Thursday afternoon here at the GFU campus courts.

The Wildcats’ doubles wins came as Mark Magdaong and Brent Kingzett downed the Bruins’ Scott Barnett and Peter Brown 8-2 at No. 1, Cody Levien and Tim Wagar edged Preston Mann and Justin McClain 9-7 at No. 2, and Tal DeWitt and Zachery Lyons dispatched Nolan Staples and Josiah Jackson 8-4 at No. 3.

Each of the top three singles matches featured at least one tiebreaker, with Linfield eventually winning each match to secure the overall victory.  At No. 1, Magdaong squeezed past Barnett 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.  The No. 2 singles could not have been tighter as DeWitt slipped by Brown in identical sets 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (10-8).  No. 3 went to Kingzett over McClain 0-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1. 

The Bruins collected their two wins at 4 and 5.  Mann split with Levien before prevailing 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 at No. 4, and Jackson swept Wagar 7-5, 6-2 at No. 5.  Lyons closed out the day with a 6-2, 6-1 win over the Bruins’ Andy Tweet at No. 6.

The loss dropped George Fox to 5-8 overall and 4-5 in the conference, now a full game behind Pacific University (4-3 in the league) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NWC Tournament.  Linfield climbed to 5-7 overall and 4-6 in the conference.

“We went to war with these guys today,” said George Fox coach Neal Ninteman, “and I could not be prouder of our effort.  We left it all out on the court, and to have so many tiebreakers, although none of them ultimately went our way, shows how close this match really was.  This was a good example of a veteran team pulling out the close ones against a young team with a bright future.”

NEXT: George Fox hosts Lewis & Clark College Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ... Linfield welcomes Lewis & Clark Friday at 5:00 p.m.