Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College men's tennis team faced off against Cal Lutheran University and the University of Redlands for their final two regular season matches but dropped both 8-1 and 9-0, each respectively.
Match 1 (Cal Lutheran – 8, Whittier – 1)
An early 3-0 hole after doubles made it difficult for the Poets Friday afternoon despite four of six singles matches going the distance. The Kingsmen clinched quickly getting wins at No. 5 and No. 6 and grabbed the first sets in the other four singles matches but found it difficult to put away the Purple & Gold despite the decision.
Sam Farmer (Carlsbad, Calif.) gave Moises Cardenas all he could handle at No. 1. Cardenas won the first set 6-2, but Farmer came back convincingly in the second to win 6-1 but couldn't carry it over into the third falling 6-3.
David Stanko (Morena Valley, Calif.) at No. 2 earned the first set breaker 7-6 but couldn't put away Fergus Scott falling 6-1, 10-5 in the next two frames.
Shogo Shimizu (Tokyo, Japan) had to fight his way back from a set down (6-4) winning the second 7-5 before falling 11-9 in the ten point breaker.
Then at No. 4 Tyler Linscott (Tuscon, AZ) would find himself in a hole as well 6-2 but managed to claw his way back to level the match with a 6-2 set at No. 2 before holding off Oliver Thornton 10-3 in the breaker.
Match 2 (Redlands – 9, Whittier – 0)
In the weekend match-up the Poets faced off against the Bulldogs. Three tight matches in doubles went the way of UR as WC went in another hole early despite a tight 8-5 match at No. 3 from Stanko and Shimizu.
The shutout continued in singles despite Farmer putting together yet another strong singles display at No. 1 putting Patrick Lipscomb in a quick hole after a late break gave him a 6-4 first set. But Lipscomb managed to come back to grab one break in the second to win 6-4 before rolling to the 10-4 third set breaker.
Linscott put together a strong fight at No. 3 against Parker Wilson but was broken once in each set that gave Wilson the 6-3, 6-4 victory.
