LEWISTON, Maine -- Junior captain Teddy Koide clinched the match for the Bobcats and the Bates men's tennis team ended the 2021-22 season on a high note with a thrilling 5-4 win over Hamilton Sunday morning at the Wallach Tennis Center.

Bates (4-11, 2-8 NESCAC) got the match started on the right foot against the Continentals (7-10, 1-9 NESCAC) by winning two of three doubles matches. 

Junior captain Nick Forester (Falmouth, Maine) teamed with Koide (Morristown, N.J.) to win 8-6 over Eric Stein and Gianni Esposito at No. 2 doubles. In an even closer match, first-year Paul Zhou (Beijing, China) and sophomore Nikesh Desai (Hopkinton, Mass.) edged Nicolas Gritz and Mark Apsey by a count of 8-7 (2). 

The Bobcats needed three wins in singles play to clinch the match, and that's what they got. Sophomore Matthew Danielson (St. Petersburg, Fla.) earned a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles over Gritz. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Alexander Archer (Austin, Texas) defeated Apsey 6-0, 6-4. 

But it was Koide at No. 4 singles who made sure the season ended on a high note. He defeated Esposito 7-5, 6-4 to clinch the victory for the Bobcats.

Bates played this season without any seniors on the roster and battled through numerous injuries. Sunday's win marked the final match of the season for the Bobcats as a team. 

Bates 5, Hamilton 4
May 1, 2022 at Lewiston, Maine

Doubles
1. Connor Griff/Matt Barktok (Hamilton) def. Alexander Gujarathi/Matthew Danielson (Bates) 8-5
2. Nick Forester/Teddy Koide (Bates) def. Eric Stein/Gianni Esposito (Hamilton) 8-6
3. Paul Zhou/Nikesh Desai (Bates) def. Nicolas Gritz/Mark Apsey (Hamilton) 8-7 (2)

Singles
1. Griff (Hamilton) def. Forester (Bates) 7-5, 6-3
2. Stein (Hamilton) def. Gujarathi (Bates) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
3. Danielson (Bates) def. Gritz (Hamilton) 7-5, 6-3
4. Koide (Bates) def. Esposito (Hamilton) 7-5, 6-4
5. Alexander Archer (Bates) def. Apsey (Hamilton) 6-0, 6-4
6. Ethan Chin (Hamilton) def. Desai (Bates) 6-3, 6-4