INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - After playing a conference match on Friday evening, then boarding a plane for southern California the next morning, the George Fox University Bruins had to summon up all their remaining energy to edge the California Institute of Technology Beavers 5-4 in a non-conference men's tennis match Saturday afternoon here at The Vintage Club.

George Fox took the doubles matches 2-1, which proved decisive when the teams split the singles.  The Caltech No. 1 singles team of Luka Mernik and Devashish Joshi pulled off an 8-6 upset of Justin McClain and Chris Lilley, the Bruins' top pair who are ranked 11th in the NCAA Division III West Region, but the other Bruin duos picked up the slack.  Preston Mann and Chace Stalcup knocked off brothers Ruthwick and Sathwick Pathireddy 8-3 at No. 2, and Mitchell Miyashiro and Nick Grafton slid past Rushikesh Joshi and Morgan Leddy 8-6 at No. 3.

The Bruins upped their advantage by taking the top two singles.  McClain claimed a 6-3, 6-2 win over Devashish Joshi at No. 1, and Lilley took care of Rushikesh Joshi 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2.  The Beavers took the next three, however, as Sathwick Pathireddy downed Mann 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3, Ruthwick Pathireddy stopped Stalcup 6-3, 7-6 at No. 4, and Mernik held off Miyashiro 7-5, 1-6, 1-0 (11-9) at No. 5.  That left the match up to the No. 6 singles, and Grafton had just enough left in the tank to take out Lebby 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-5), giving the Bruins the hard-fought victory. 

George Fox, which is ranked 11th in the West Region, improved to 5-2 on the season, while Cal Tech fell to 3-3.

NEXT: George Fox (after a good night's sleep) will return to the courts Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against Linfield College at the Las Palmas Tennis Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif.  This match will count as a Northwest Conference contest for both teams … Cal Tech will play Hardin-Simmons University Monday at 2:00 p.m. at The Vintage Club.