SPOKANE, Wash. – Taking a 3-0 lead after doubles, Whitworth cruised to an 8-1 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Linfield Saturday night at Scotford Tennis Center.

The Wildcats suffered their third straight defeat to fall to 2-7 for the season and 2-6 in the NWC. The Pirates, winners of three consecutive matches, elevated their record to 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference.

Linfield picked up its lone point at No. 4 singles, where freshman Micah Roos (Soph., Port Angeles, Wash.) rallied for a 6-2, 0-6 1-0 (10-7) victory.

The Pirates won the remaining five singles flights in straight sets. Zach Lyons moved into the No. 1 slot for the first time this season but was handed a 6-1, 6-0 setback at the hands of Whitworth’s Daniel Redfern.

The Pirates’ Cameron Williams took care of the Wildcats’ Cody Levien, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2, and Micha Spaun topped Linfielder Luke Kleinman 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3.

Ian Rapport was blanked 6-0, 6-0 by Whitworth’s Stefan Dernbach at No. 5, and Ben Brewer (Soph., Lake Oswego, Ore.) suffered a 7-5, 6-0 loss at No. 6 to Ben Hamming.

Lyons and Levien battled tooth-and-nail with Redfern and Williams at No. 1 doubles before absorbing an 8-6 defeat. For Lyons and Levien, it marked their third straight outing without a win following a 6-0 start.

In other doubles action, Dernbach and Spaun topped Roos and Rapport, 8-1, at No. 2 and John Talbot paired with Matt Gobel to turn away Brewer and Kleinman 8-3 at No. 3.