Ben Rosen played well on Saturday, taking his match at No. 1 singles to three sets. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) 

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The No. 22 Bates men's tennis team went on the road to face No. 3 Middlebury and fell 9-0 Saturday morning.

The match featured an epic three-set battle at No. 1 singles between Ben Rosen '18 (Port Washington, N.Y.) and Noah Farrell. After Rosen dropped the first set 6-0, he came roaring back to take set two 6-3. Then in the final set Farrell prevailed 13-11 as Rosen gave Middlebury's top player all he could handle. 

Bates (2-4) also battled the Panthers (2-0) in some close doubles matches. At No. 1 doubles, Rosen and Chris Ellis '17 (Shrewsbury, Mass.) faced off against Farrell and Ari Smolyar, falling 8-5. Meanwhile at No. 2 doubles Pat Ordway '17 (Falmouth, Maine) and Fergus Scott '18 (Wellington, New Zealand) kept it close with Palmer Campbell and Hamid Derbani before falling 8-6. 

The Panthers showed why they are the third ranked team in the nation, sweeping five of the six singles matches. Ellis won four games in the second set of his match at No. 2 singles and Scott won four games in the first set at No. 3 singles.

Bates will take on Swarthmore at the University of Mary Washington Friday at 7:00 p.m. in non-conference play.