RED OAK, Iowa -- The Lindsey Wilson College men's tennis team fell in its season opener today 5-4 to NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State University.

The No. 13-ranked Blue Raiders lost the match despite a valiant comeback effort in the singles matches after falling behind 3-0 following doubles play.

In the top doubles match, Northwest Missouri State's Mario Jakouljeuls and Jose Ortega used an 8-5 win over Lindsey Wilson's Pablo Vilches and Gilles Cornelis to give the Bearcats the early 1-0 lead.

The duo of Guihemo Narducci and Rafael Bugiga -- who are ranked fourth in the south central region -- doubled the Bearcat lead to 2-0 with a hard-fought 9-7 win over Fabricio Morales and Marlon Dal Pont at No. 2 doubles.

Northwest Missouri State completed the doubles sweep as Calvin Patterson and Luis Altimines outlasted Fernando Bogajo and Victor Saez 9-8 (5).

Down 3-0, Lindsey Wilson claimed its first point of the season as Saez won in straight sets over Bugiga 6-1, 7-5 at the fourth-seeded singles. Jakouljeuls pushed the Bearcat lead to 3-1 after beating Morales 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2 singles.

The Blue Raiders began the comeback with three straight singles wins to tie the match at 4-4.

Vilches beat Narducci 7-5, 7-5 in the No. 3 singles match and top-seeded Bogajo defeated Patterson 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Dal Pont tied the match with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ortega in the sixth singles match.

But the comeback would fall just short as Northwest Missouri State's Altimines beat Cornelis 6-3, 6-2 to claim the 5-4 win.

"I am extremely proud of the way we fought back today," Lindsey Wilson coach Daniel Finn said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us this season, but we will learn from this experience."

Lindsey Wilson returns to action 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, February 12, as the Blue Raiders face University of Nebraska-Kearney in Red Oak, Iowa.