CLAREMONT, Calif. – Whitman College's 18th-ranked men's tennis team closed out its spring break trip to Southern California with a split of two matches, downing host and 15th-ranked University of Redlands Friday, 7-2, before surrendering a narrow 5-4 decision to No. 22 Tufts University Sunday at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.

Those results leave Whitman with a 9-6 record, Redlands  with a 9-3 mark, and Tufts with a 2-0 record.

Taking on the Bulldogs from Redlands on their home surface at Verdieck Courts was no small order for the Missionaries following a loss to No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges at their Biszantz home two days earlier. But Whitman's doubles pairings saw to it that any hangover from the earlier defeat was long gone as it swept the trio of doubles matches to carry a 3-0 lead into singles action.

The doubles wins weren't walkovers as the Bulldogs did put up a fight.

Whitman's top pairing of Zach Hewlin and Phillip Locklear cashed out a 9-7 win, Robert Carter and Jake Hoeger triumphed 8-4 at 2-doubles, and the No. 3 tandem of Petar Jivkov and Chase Friedman pulled out an 8-6.

Clinching the match in singles came via wins from Hewlin at No. 1, Friedman at No. 3 and Carter at No. 5.

Playing back at Biszantz Sunday morning brought out good competition from both Whitman and Tufts.

The Jumbos scratched out wins at 1- and 2-doubles but Whitman's pairing of Adam Rapoport and Gary Ho outlasted their Tufts opponents, 9-7, to salvage a point for the Missionaries.

Hewlin at No. 1, Rapoport at 5 and Carter at 6 earned singles points for Whitman but Tufts picked up that one extra victory in singles to eke out the team win.

Whitman gets a weekend off after returning from California, re-entering Northwest Conference competition with a three-match road trip. On Friday, April 1 the Whitties play at Pacific (Ore.) University, followed by a match Saturday at Lewis & Clark College. The weekend closed with a trip to George Fox University on Sunday.