LEWISTON, Maine --  Bates College women's tennis, playing its lone dual match of the fall season, enjoyed a 5-2 triumph over visiting Nichols College Sunday morning in the Wallach Tennis Center.

The victory marks the first win of head coach Deepak Sharma's tenure with the Bobcats.

In doubles action, the tandems of Olivia Gidlow and Iris Westmoreland (6-1 over Pamela Gonzalez/Kamora Helton) and Lizzie Frekko and Ava Lyon (6-0 over Cora Brosch/Erin Helly) recorded wins at the #1 and #3 positions, respectively, to put the Bobcats ahead, 1-0, heading into singles play.

Bates went on to take four of the six singles matches, starting with Westmoreland who downed Helton (7-6, 6-4, 1-6) in a three-set affair. Lyon followed by sweeping away Gonzalez at #3 in straight sets (6-1, 6-4).

Elise Hepburn outlasted Brosch in the #5 slot by the score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 while Ava Steinberger cruised past Helly at #6 (6-1, 7-5).

The garnet and white starts head-to-head play at 1-0 while the Bisons go to 8-3 after the setback.

The Bobcats close out the autumn slate next week (Oct. 11-13) with an appearance in the New England Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament, hosted by Amherst College and Smith College.