BEAVERTON, ORE. -- Willamette University cruised past Pacific University, 9-0, in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Friday, March 7 at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center. The Bearcats opened the competition by winning all three doubles matches, then swept through the singles matches, losing just one set. WU improved to 4-4 overall, including 4-3 in the NWC. Pacific fell to 0-8 overall, with all eight losses in conference play.
At #1 doubles, Matt Houser (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) and Eric MacMillan (Sr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS) of Willamette downed Michael Okada and Justin Kinney, 8-4. The #2 doubles match was won by Luke Lagattuta (So., Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS) and Fitz Paccione (Sr., Encinitas, CA/Cathedral Catholic) of WU, 8-3, over Nhat Nguyen and Patrick Kinghorn.
The Bearcats also won #3 doubles, with Nathan Ramos (Fr., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) and Shawn Mahmood (Fr., Gresham, OR/La Salle HS) defeating Aaron Shapiro and Ryan Ford, 8-3. Later on, Ramos won #5 singles over Kinney, 6-2, 6-4, and Mahmood took #6 singles by defeating Jeffrey Lee, 6-3, 6-3.
For Ramos, the day represented his first action in a dual match. Not only did he record his first collegiate victory in both singles and doubles, he was able to do so in his hometown of Beaverton, Ore.
Houser played #1 singles for the Bearcats and won the first set 6-2, before Okada rallied with a 6-4 win in the second set. Houser claimed the third set, 6-2. Willamette won the remaining singles matches in straight sets.
WU will host the University of Puget Sound on Saturday, March 8. Match time is scheduled for 4 p.m. (PST). at the Courthouse Tennis Club in Salem, Ore.
Friday, March 7
At Tualatin Hills Tennis Center, Beaverton, Ore.
Willamette University 9, Pacific University 0
Singles
#1 - Matt Houser (WU) defeated Michael Okada (PAC), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
#2 - Alex Sepenzis (WU) defeated Aaron Shapiro (PAC), 6-0, 6-2
#3 - Micah Mack (WU) defeated Nhat Nguyen (PAC), 6-4, 6-2
#4 - Luke Lagattuta (WU) defeated Patrick Kinghorn (PAC), 6-1, 6-3
#5 - Nathan Ramos (WU) defeated Justin Kinney (PAC), 6-2, 6-4
#6 - Shawn Mahmood (WU) defeated Jeffrey Lee (PAC), 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
#1 - Matt Houser and Eric MacMillan (WU) defeated Michael Okada and Justin Kinney (PAC), 8-4
#2 - Luke Lagattuta and Fitz Paccione (WU) defeated Nhat Nguyen and Patrick Kinghorn (PAC), 8-3
#3 - Nathan Ramos and Shawn Mahmood (WU) defeated Aaron Shapiro and Ryan Ford (PAC), 8-3
WU freshman Nathan Ramos, playing in his first dual match, picked up wins in singles and doubles against Pacific in his hometown of Beaverton, Ore.
