Photo Taken By: Shelby Byerly

CLACKAMAS, Ore. --- The George Fox men's tennis team continued its hot start in the Northwest Conference, as the Bruins defeated the visiting Pirates of Whitworth, 5-4.

Recap:
It was a dominant start for the Bruins, who opened up the match with a 2-1 start in doubles. Spencer Watanabe and Alex Namba teamed up at No. 1 doubles and finished their match with an 8-3 victory. Ryan Malinowski and Davin Lee fell at No. 2 doubles, and Jacob Farmer and Matt Biggi gave the Bruins the advantage at No. 3 doubles with an 8-0 win.

With the 2-1 start, the ball kept rolling in singles, as Watanabe produced a 6-1, 6-0 victory in the No. 1 spot. Namba came away with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles over Ian Fisher, and Biggi clinched the win at the No. 2 spot with a 6-2, 6-3 win. The Pirates were able to come away with wins at No. 4, 5 and 6 singles, but it was too little too late.

"This was an important win for us, as Whitworth is consistently in the top half of the conference," said head coach Neal Ninteman. "We showed some strong play at the top, and with five freshman in the lineup we have plenty to learn. I'm excited to see how we come out tomorrow against Linfield."

What It Means:
With the win, the Bruins are 2-2 on the season and 2-0 in the NWC.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins hit the road to take on host Linfield Sunday, Feb. 19, with action starting at 1p.m.