By: Ryan Lackey
NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Bruins lost to the resurgent Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Friday afternoon, 6-3, despite a remarkable, gutsy showing from the Bruins and stellar individual play from Nicholas Grafton and Spencer Watanabe. The Bruins split the six singles matches, but despite their best efforts the Pioneers, who last weekend handed Whitman their first Northwest Conference loss in nine years, claimed the win.
Recap:
Head coach Neal Ninteman lauded his players after the conclusion of Friday's action.
"The guys fought so hard tonight," said Ninteman. "They left it all out on the courts." And far from a cliché, Ninteman's words were exactly right. In the #1 singles match, Spencer Watanabe swept aside Raed Attia, 6-4, 6-2, in a dominating performance.
But Chris Lilley turned in perhaps an even better showing in the #2 singles match. After taking the first set from Gordon Barrows 7-5, Lilley suffered a spasm of cramps and dropped the second set, 2-6. Lilley, though, refused the chance to withdraw and fought through the cramps to take the third set 1-0 (10-8).
In the #4 match, Vincent Viloria lost out to Harrison Collins, 6-3, 6-2. And in the #5 match, Mitchell Miyashiro fought well but fell short against Daniel Hamn, 6-1, 6-3.
Nick Ekern was dogged in the #6 match: after losing the first set to Brenden Barrows 6-2, he came back to take the second set 6-7 (7-3), and prolonged the third set as long as he could until Barrows took a 1-0 (7-10) win.
But in the #3 singles match, Nicholas Grafton had a career night. In the #3 singles match, he took down Kevin Ross 6-2, 6-2, playing some of his best tennis of the year. Grafton, along with Miyashiro, also played the #2 doubles match, losing to Ross and Collins by the narrowest of margins, 9-8 (7-5). Such was the story of Friday: the Bruins came up just short in the doubles matches. Watanabe and Lilley were defeated 8-5 by the two Barrowses, and Viloria and Tristen Lerma fell to Pim Trouerbach and Keane Hindle, 8-1.
But Ninteman was still encouraged by the Bruins's Friday.
"I couldn't be more proud of their efforts and the heart they showed."
What It Means:
The Bruins are 5-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
What Comes Next:
Tomorrow, the Bruins host Willamette.
