WALLA WALLA, Wash.  A down-to-the-wire finish left host Whitman wishing for one more point Saturday, as the 27th-ranked Blues fell short of No. 22 Linfield College, 5-4, in a Northwest Conference women's tennis battle at the Bratton Indoor Tennis Center.

The loss was the first in the league for Whitman (7-2, 7-1 NWC) this spring, while Linfield (5-1, 4-1) moves up a notch in the league standings with its road victory.

Lori Sheng and Andrea Gu got Whitman off to the start it wanted Saturday, taking the first point of the morning with their 8-4 win at 2-doubles over the Wildcats' Riley Clayeux and Basia Kopecka.

That advantage would be erased, however, with the results of the other doubles matches which were captured by Linfield.

Trailing in the match 2-1 the Blues picked up a tying point from Hanna Greenberg who rolled to a 6-1, 6-3 at No. 4 singles, only to have the Wildcats break back in front with a win at the No. 1 slot.

The evenly-matched squads lived up to those expectations over the next three matches to finish as Whitman would win the next one to tie and the ensuing match to forge a lead. But Linfield once again won a clutch match to pull even at 4-4.

Both Allie Wallin at No. 3 and Mary Hill at No. 2 were extended to three sets before capturing the Whitman points that built a 4-3 edge. Wallin won her opening set but lost the second before bouncing back in the third for a win over Marisa Doveri, and Hill clawed back from a first-set defeat to win the next two sets in claiming her victory over Elsa Harris.

The Wildcats were the ones to bounce back after Hill's triumph, though, as they stole wins at Nos. 5 and 6 singles to rally from behind for the match points.

"We have to give credit to Linfield," said head coach John Heine about the Wildcats' come-from-behind victory. "But it was awesome to see us coming along (this spring). We needed this battle, and really fought hard."

The challenging weekend continues Sunday for Whitman as it stays within league play, welcoming 23rd-ranked and NWC leader Lewis & Clark College to Bratton for a 10 a.m. match.