McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Setting a new team
record for consecutive wins, the George Fox University Bruins,
ranked No. 11 in the NCAA Division III's West Region, won
their sixth men's tennis match in a row with a 6-3 Northwest
Conference victory over the Linfield College Wildcats Saturday
afternoon here at the Linfield Tennis Center.
Seizing wins in the top two doubles matches, the Wildcats looked
as if they might get their first win of the season, but the Bruins
surged back by winning five of the six singles matches.
Zachary Lyons and Lukas Kleinman scratched out an 8-6 victory over
George Fox's Chris Lilley and Peter Brown at No. 1 doubles,
and Micah Roos and Tim Hawkins knocked off the Bruins' Justin
McClain and Matt Deming 8-4 in the No. 2 pairing. The Bruins
salvaged the No. 3 doubles and started momentum back toward George
Fox as Chace Stalcup and Mitchell Miyashiro overcame
Linfield's Alex Mangan and Robert Beezer 8-6.
The only exception to George Fox's singles domination was
at No. 4, where Kleinman took down Stalcup in straight sets, 6-3,
6-4. The Bruins got a three-set victory at No. 6 where Ben
Fullhart, playing his first singles match for the Bruins, took a
2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-4) win over Nick Konen.
In the other singles, McClain downed Lyons 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1,
Preston Mann dropped Roos 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2, Drew Milton produced a
6-0, 6-2 result over Hawkins at No. 3, and Miyashiro blanked Beezer
6-0, 6-0 at No. 5.
George Fox improved to 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference,
while Linfield fell to 0-9 both overall and in the league.
NEXT: George Fox returns to action next
Saturday, Mar. 23, hosting Lewis & Clark College at the
Stafford Hills Tennis Center in Tualatin, Ore., at 12:00 noon ...
Linfield takes an extended break before facing Lewis & Clark at
4:00 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 5, in Portland.
