Box ScoreFOREST GROVE – A serious dose of momentum with two doubles wins and a come-from-behind match-clinching win by
Clark Wininger (So., San Francisco, Calif.) in singles gave Pacific a critical 5-4 Northwest Conference men's tennis victory over Lewis & Clark Saturday at the Holce Tennis Courts.
Â
In what Head Coach
Brian Jackson said was a key early season matchup, the Boxers took the 2-1 lead after the doubles flights win wins by
Brennan Faith (So., Redondo Beach, Calif.) and
Grayson Frazier (Sr., La Canada, Calif.) at No. 1 and from
Oscar Wight (Fr., Adelaide, Australia) and Wininger at No. 3. The singles matches played out in order, with
Giancarlo Battaglia (Sr., Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Faith scoring wins at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, before Wininger came back from down in the second set to down Daniel Hahm 6-4, 7-5, in the No. 4 flight to secure the team victory.
Â
"This was a great, hard fought match today. I am very proud of the guys for taking this important win," Jackson said. "We really happy to get the win. We know that they will be a tough out for anyone the rest of the season."
Â
Faith and Frazier started the Boxers off in doubles with an 8-5 win at No. 1 over Morgan Joyce and Grodon Barrows, but Michael Brewer and Kevin Ross evened things with their 8-6 win at No. 2 over Battaglia and
Josh Bernstein (So., Novato, Calif.). Wight and Wininger provided a solid 8-4 win over Harrison Collins and Hahm at No 3 to put the Boxers ahead 2-1 entering singles.
Â
Battaglia cruised in his No. 1 victory, beating Brewer 6-3, 6-1. Faith gave the Boxers the 4-2 match lead with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ross at No. 2. The Pioneers battled back in the No. 3 match as Joyce rebounded from a first set loss to knock off Frazier in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. That set the stage for Wininger, who came back from behind in the second set before taking the 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Â
Lewis & Clark took the balance of the singles matches with Collins outlasting Wight 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) at No. 5 and Barrows taking a 6-4, 6-2 win from Bernstein at No 6.
Â
With the victory, Pacific improves to 5-1, 4-1 NWC. Lewis & Clark dropped to 4-2, 4-1 NWC. Pacific will close out the weekend at home on Sunday, hosting Linfield at 1 p.m.
Â
