Bates women's tennis improved to 5-1 on the year with its win over Hamilton. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

LEWISTON, Maine – Bates College women's tennis captured a 6-3 win over Hamilton College in the team's home opener and first NESCAC competition of the season on Sunday at Merrill Indoor Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (5-1, 1-0 NESCAC) took a 2-1 lead after doubles play before winning four of six singles matches against the Continentals (4-2, 0-2 NESCAC).

The top doubles pair of junior Elena Mandzhukova (Lisbon, Portugal) and first-year Elizabeth Erbafina (Sudbury, Mass.) emerged with an 8-3 victory while senior Lucy Brennan (Wellesley, Mass.) and sophomore Emma Blakeley (Hope, Maine) snagged an 8-3 win on court No. 3.

Mandzhukova followed her doubles win with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Mira Khanna at the first singles spot.

Senior Kristen Doerer (Madison, Conn.) out-dueled Winnie Tang on court No. 3 in a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win while first-years Kate Rosenthal (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Olivia Voccola (Falmouth, Maine) seized victories at the fourth and sixth singles positions respectively.

Next, Bates plays at Colby on March 18 at 4 p.m.

Bates College 6, Hamilton College 3

March 9, 2014 at Lewiston, Maine (Merrill Indoor Gymnasium)

Doubles:

No. 1 – Elena Mandzhukova/Elizabeth Erbafina (BAT) defeat Meg Lee/Liz Detwiler (HAM), 8-3

No. 2 – Winnie Tang/Isabella Schoning (HAM) defeat Alexandra Hakusui/Kristen Doerer (BAT), 8-2

No. 3 – Lucy Brennan/Emma Blakeley (BAT) defeat Mira Khanna/Claire Keyte (HAM), 8-3

Singles:

No. 1 – Elena Mandzhukova (BAT) defeats Mira Khanna (HAM), 6-0, 6-1

No. 2 – Isabella Schoning (HAM) defeats Elizabeth Erbafina (BAT), 6-4, 6-2

No. 3 – Kristen Doerer (BAT) defeats Winnie Tang (HAM), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)

No. 4 – Kate Rosenthal (BAT) defeats Claire Keyte (HAM), 6-2, 6-4

No. 5 – Rachel Friedman (HAM) defeats Eleanor Hough (BAT), 4-6, 6-2, 10-5

No. 6 – Olivia Voccola (BAT) defeats Sara Shaughnessy (HAM), 7-5, 6-0