Pirates Reverse Early-Season Outcomes in Two Key Matches

SPOKANE, Wash. - A win twenty years in the making came down to a pair of players having a short memory, as Whitworth University defeated visiting Pacific Lutheran University 6-3 in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Saturday afternoon at the Scotford Tennis Center.

Colin Zalewski and Cameron Williams earned key victories at #2 and #3 singles to help the Pirates claim their first win over the Lutes since April 13, 1991.

Zalewski and Williams had each lost at the same singles position in a narrow 5-4 loss to PLU last month. But Zalewski defeated Justin Peterson 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 at #2, while Williams topped Michael Manser 6-1, 6-4 at #3. Those two victories pulled the Pirates into a 3-3 tie with the Lutes heading to the final three singles maches.

Joe Wales picked up a 7-5, 6-1 win over Scott Sheldon at #4. Then Collin Barrett sealed the team win with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-4 win over Brent Smoots at #6. Whitworth's Kellen Oetgen defeated Taylor Dickey 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 in the final match of the day.

PLU had taken a 2-1 team lead after three close doubles matches. Joel Trudel and Peterson beat Michael Shelton and Zalewski 8-5 at #1 doubles, while Smoots and Dickey topped Oetgen and Barrett 8-6 at #3 doubles. Wales and Williams earned the Bucs' only doubles point with an 8-6 win over Manser and Sheldon.

Trudel, the 2009 NWC Player of the Year, beat Shelton 6-2, 6-2 at #1 singles.

Whitworth will hit the road for four matches in California over spring break.