Maisie Silverman teamed up with Bella Stone for an 8-6 win at No. 1 doubles in Bates' 8-1 loss to No. 7 nationally ranked Tufts on April 1, 2017. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College.) 

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates women's tennis team fell 8-1 to No. 7 nationally ranked Tufts in a deceptively close match on Saturday in Merrill Gymnasium, in the Bobcats' first home NESCAC match of the season and the Jumbos' first conference contest of the year.

Bates (3-8, 1-2 NESCAC) earned the point at No. 1 doubles, where junior Maisie Silverman (Brunswick, Maine) and sophomore Bella Stone (Concord, Mass.) edged Mina Karamercan and Katherine Wiley 8-6. 

The Jumbos (6-1, 1-0 NESCAC) took a 2-1 lead, however, as Lauren Louks and Otilia Popa defeated Bates senior Elizabeth Erbafina (Sudbury, Mass.) and first-year Isabelle Rovinski (New York, N.Y.) 8-5 at second doubles, while Tomo Iwasaki and Conner Calabro dispatched Bates senior Kate Rosenthal (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and first-year Lauren Hernandez (Chester, N.J.) 8-1 at third doubles.

At No. 1 singles, Karamercan fought off Silverman for a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory. The Jumbos edged the Bobcats at No. 3 singles, where Iwasaki turned away Stone 6-3, 7-5, and at No. 4 singles, where Rovinski battled Wiley in a 7-5, 6-4 loss. Meanwhile Rosenthal retired due to injury while tied 6-6 with Alexa Meltzer at No. 5 singles; Louks defeated Erbafina 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 singles; and Calabro defeated Bates senior Olivia Voccola (Falmouth, Maine) 6-2, 6-2 at sixth singles.

Bates plays at Bowdoin on Sunday at 2pm in Farley Field House.