MARION, Ind. -- No. 18 Davenport (Mich.) squeaked by No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan University women’s tennis on Saturday afternoon in a 5-4 contest at the Sutter Tennis Center.

Davenport improves to 13-4 following the top-20 victory while Indiana Wesleyan falls to 19-2.

The Panthers jumped out to an early advantage with wins in two of the three doubles matches. The Wildcats earned their doubles point at the No. 2 position as Rachael Heiniger (SR/Munster, Ind.) and Rachel Bottorff (FR/Newburgh, Ind.) claimed an 8-3 victory. But Kim Mella (JR/Libertyville, Ill.) and Katie Wilson (SO/Middletown, Ind.) lost 8-3 in the top position and Courtney Siepman (SO/Plainfield, Ind.) and Kelsey Vessels (FR/Roanoke, Ind.) dropped an 8-6 decision at No. 3.

Indiana Wesleyan needed four wins in the six singles matches to claim the team victory but fell just short of that with a split.

IWU pulled out wins by Wilson at No. 1-singles, Heiniger at No. 3-singles, and Mella at No. 4-singles. Wilson won 7-5, 6-2 and Heiniger earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Mella won a three set thriller 6-7, 7-5, 10-7.

Bottorff lost 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2-singles and Kristen Futrell (SR/Marion, Ind.) was defeated 6-2, 6-3 at No. 5-singles. Siepman lost in three sets at No. 6-singles by scores of 2-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Indiana Wesleyan returns to action at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in a home match vs. Purdue Calumet (Ind.).