CHENEY, Wash. – For the seventh time in eight matches the Portland State men's tennis team earned the doubles point, but this time the squad was unable to come up with the victory, falling 4-3 to Eastern Washington, in Cheney Wash., Saturday afternoon. The Viks went 2-1 in doubles play but faltered in singles action only tallying two victories to fall to 7-12 overall and 1-7 in the Big Sky.

PSU leveraged what has been a strength all season, as the team once again took the doubles point from its opponent.

The No. 2 team of Antoine Bechmann and Ian Risenhoover improved to 7-2 overall as a team in 2013, as the tandem downed Aaron Lance, Aruturo Caprio, breezing to an 8-3 score.

The doubles point was clinched on court No. 3 as Abhinav Mishra and Alec Marx stayed undefeated as a team this season, taking down Eduardo Bringold and Tomas Aranguiz, 8-6 as the PSU duo is now 8-0 during the 2013 campaign.

The Eagles did tally a doubles victory as Joseph Cohen and Kyle Koetje edged Connor Gilmore and Brent Wheeler, 8-4 from the No. 1 spot, but the Viks still staked a 1-0 lead headed into singles play.

As impressive as PSU was during the doubles contest, Eastern Washington was equally as impressive in singles action.

The Eagles reeled off three-straight victories to jump out to a big lead in the match.

Wheeler was downed by Koetje, 6-3, 6-2, while Gilmore went quietly in the first set 6-1 and was edged in the second, 6-4, by Aranguiz at the No. 2 spot.

Cohen made it 3-1 in favor of Eastern Washington as he came back from a first set loss at the hands of Bechmann, to win the next two frames, winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Lukas Kortus did his part to prevent the match loss from line No. 4 as he defeated Bringold in three sets, taking the first 6-3, and rebounding from a 6-2 second set loss with a 6-4 third frame victory.

While Kortus delayed defeat for PSU, it was Caprio that clinched the dual in favor of Eastern Washington. Caprio rolled past Wil Cochrane in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, pushing the score to 4-2.

Playing for pride, Alec Marx tallied his second-straight division I victory in his young career, battling back from a first set loss to win, 5-7, 6-5, 1-0, as the Viks fell by a final score of 4-3.

Portland State has one final road trip left as the team will conclude its 2013 slate playing Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in Cedar City, Utah and Flagstaff, Ariz., respectively. Those matches are slated for April 19 and 21 with match times scheduled for 1 p.m. and 10 a.m. MT.
 

Singles competition

1. COHEN, Joseph (EWUM) def. BECHMANN, Antoine (PSUMEN) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

2. ARANGUIZ, Tomas (EWUM) def. GILMORE, Connor (PSUMEN) 6-1, 6-4

3. KOETJE, Kyle (EWUM) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSUMEN) 6-3, 6-2

4. KORTUS, Lukas (PSUMEN) def. BRINGOLD, Eduardo (EWUM) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

5. CARPIO, Arturo (EWUM) def. COCHRANE, Wil (PSUMEN) 6-1, 6-3

6. MARX, Alec (PSUMEN) def. FARRAR, Stefan (EWUM) 5-7, 6-5, 1-0

 

Doubles competition

1. COHEN, Joseph/KOETJE, Kyle (EWUM) def. GILMORE, Connor/WHEELER, Brent (PSUMEN) 8-4

2. BECHMANN, Antoine/RISENHOOVER, Ian (PSUMEN) def. LINCE, Aaron/CARPIO, Arturo (EWUM) 8-3

3. MISHRA, Abhinav/MARX, Alec (PSUMEN) def. BRINGOLD, Eduardo/ARANGUIZ, Tomas (EWUM) 8-6

 

Match Notes

Portland State 7-12, 1-7 Big Sky

Eastern Washington 9-12, 5-5 Big Sky

Singles Order of Finish: 3,2,1,4,5,6

Doubles Order of Finish: 2,3,1