TYLER, Texas – Finding the going as rocky and barren as the landscape of some regions of the Lone Star State, the Linfield Wildcats suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of Texas-Tyler and nationally ranked Trinity of Texas.

UT-Tyler took down Linfield by an 8-1 margin on Friday, then 12th-ranked Trinity blanked the Wildcats 9-0 on Saturday.

The losses, part of a six-match losing skid, came during the Wildcats’ spring break trip to east Texas.

Linfield’s leading doubles tandem, Zach Lyons and Cody Levien, accounted a notable win against Texas-Tyler. The two Wildcats combined for an 8-4 victory over the Patriots’ Ryan Spencer and Kevin Singer in the top flight, raising their season record to 8-3. Spencer and Singer entered the match rated No. 5 in the West Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

UT-Tyler won five of the six singles pairings in straight sets. Lyons provided the exception, taking Singer to a third set at No. 2 before falling 6-0, 4-6, 10-6.

Trinity, rated 12th in the nation and fourth in the West Region, blitzed through the Wildcats singles lineup with relative ease. The Tigers won the lower three pairings, all by 6-0, 6-0 scores. The closest singles confrontation occurred at No. 1, where Levien lost to TU’s Max Frey by a 6-2, 6-3 count. Frey was rated sixth among West Region singles players.

Doubles were equally as frustrating for the Wildcats. Lyons and Levien fell 8-2 to Frey and Erick DelaFuente at No. 1. The Tigers duo are ranked second in the West.

NEXT: Linfield remains in Tyler where the Wildcats will face a familiar regional foe in Hardin-Simmons at 1 p.m. The Wildcats knocked off the Cowboys 7-2 last season in McMinnville.