Linfield College Team Page

PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing at the Lewis & Clark Tennis Dome for the second straight day, Linfield came away with a more favorable result Saturday afternoon, defeating Cal Lutheran 6-3.

The Wildcats (6-8) relied on strong doubles play to jump out to a 2-1 lead over the Regals (4-13).

Caroline Brigham (Jr., Eagle, Idaho) and Kwynn Ecton (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) earned an 8-4 top-flight victory over Emily Werman and Jacqueline Ramsay. At No. 3 doubles, Kaila Nip (Soph., Lahaina, Hawaii) and Kelly Watanabe (Soph., Kirkland, Wash.) partnered for the 8-2 win over Lauren Toohey and Sarah Baker.

Carly Mouzes and Lindsay Murphy kept the score close by defeating Lexi Thomas (Sr., Redding, Calif.) and Gretchen Jernstedt (Soph., Wilsonville, Ore.) in a tight one, 8-6.

“A strong doubles performance truly laid the groundwork for our success in singles,” said head coach Amy Dames Smith. “Cal Lutheran is a good team and we competed the way we needed to to get a positive result.”

All six singles flights were taken in straight sets, with Linfield coming out on the winning end four times.

Nip defeated Mouzes 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles while Ecton downed Baker 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth flight. In the No. 5 match, Watanabe blanked Toohey 6-0, 6-0 and Jernstedt clinched the match for the Wildcats with her 6-0, 6-1 win over Emily Nerland.

Cal Lutheran’s singles points were earned in the top two flights, with Murphy topping Brigham 6-0, 6-1 and Werman defeating Thomas 6-3, 6-1.

COMING UP: Linfield plays at home for the first time in the month of March when it plays host to Lewis & Clark Friday afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m.