Sophomore Lauren Hernandez and first-year Hannah Sweeney won at No. 2 doubles on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at No. 6 nationally ranked Tufts. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

MEDFORD, Mass. -- Sophomore Lauren Hernandez and first-year Hannah Sweeney won at No. 2 doubles but the No. 28 nationally ranked Bates women's tennis team fell 8-1 at No. 6 Tufts in NESCAC action Saturday afternoon. 

Bates (7-4, 1-1 NESCAC) and Tufts (6-2, 2-1 NESCAC) started the match with doubles play, and Hernandez (Chester, N.J.) and Sweeney (Franklin, Mass.) found themselves in a tiebreaker with Tomo Iwasaki and Julia Keller at No. 2 doubles. The Bobcat duo prevailed 8-7 (9-7) to give the Bobcats their lone point on the afternoon. 

Down 2-1 after doubles, the Bobcats did not win any singles matches, despite some very good efforts.

Sweeney turned in their best singles performance, falling 6-4, 6-2 to No. 21 nationally ranked Mina Karamercan at the No. 2 position. Hernandez also played well at the No. 4 position, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Iwasaki. Senior captain Maisie Silverman (Brunswick, Maine) also put up a strong performance at No. 1 singles, falling 6-2, 6-2 to Patricia Obeid. 

The Bobcats look to get back on the winning track Saturday when they host No. 8 nationally ranked Amherst at 9:00 a.m.