SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University won #2 and #3 doubles to take an early lead, then split the six singles flights, as the Bearcats defeated the University of Puget Sound, 5-4, in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Saturday, March 8 at the Courthouse Tennis Club.
WU is tied with Linfield College for fourth place in the NWC standings at 5-3. The Bearcats are 5-4 overall. UPS dropped to 3-5 overall, 3-5 in the NWC. The Loggers are in sixth place in the conference standings, two games behind WU and Linfield.
The Bearcats picked up two crucial wins in doubles. At #2 doubles, Eric MacMillan (Sr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS) and Matt Houser (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) narrowly defeated Nick Amland and Alex Harrison, 8-6. At #3 doubles, WU won another close match, as Fitz Paccione (Sr., Encinitas, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) and Luke Lagattuta (So., Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS) downed Scooter Sable and Carl Larson of UPS, 8-6.
In singles, Willamette recorded wins at the #1, #3 and #6 positions. MacMillan earned the #1 singles victory against Amland, 6-3, 6-0. Paccione was victorious for WU at #3 singles, 6-2,6-4, over Sam McCullugh. Lagattuta won #6 singles over Larson, 6-0, 6-3.
Although the teams split the singles matches, only one of the six positions involved a tie-breaker and none of the matches went to three sets. The closest battle was at #2 singles, where Jamie Hosmer edged out Houser, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). UPS also won #4 and #5 singles.
The Bearcats will play their next match on Saturday, March 15 at Pacific Lutheran University. Action is set to get underway at 10 a.m. (PDT).
Saturday, March 8
At Courthouse Tennis Club, Salem, Ore.
Willamette University 5, University of Puget Sound 4
Singles
#1 - Eric MacMillan (WU) defeated Nick Amland (UPS), 6-3, 6-0
#2 - Jamie Hosmer (UPS) defeated Matt Houser (WU), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
#3 - Fitz Paccione (WU) defeated Sam McCullugh (UPS), 6-2, 6-4
#4 - Scooter Sable (UPS) defeated Alex Sepenzis (WU), 6-4, 6-1
#5 - Alex Harrison (UPS) defeated Micah Mack (WU), 6-2, 6-2
#6 - Luke Lagattuta (WU) defeated Carl Larson (UPS), 6-0, 6-3
Doubles
#1 - Hosmer and McCullugh (UPS) defeated Mack and Andrew Murakami (WU), 8-3
#2 - MacMillan and Houser (WU) defeated Amland and Harrison (UPS), 8-6
#3 - Paccione and Lagattuta (WU) defeated Sable and Larson (UPS), 8-6
Records: Willamette is 5-4 overall, 5-3 in the NWC; Puget Sound is 3-5 overall, 3-5 in the NWC
Luke Lagattuta helped WU defeat UPS by winning #6 singles. He also combined with Fitz Paccione to win #3 doubles.
