POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Bates College, playing its eighth of 12 consecutive road matches to start the spring season, journeyed to Vassar College Thursday where the Bobcats suffered an 8-1 loss to the #33 Brewers in non-conference women's tennis action.

Vassar (5-3) opened the afternoon with a clean sweep in doubles play:

(No. 1) Erin McCusker/Macey Dowd (Vassar) def. Ally Friedman/Iris Westmoreland (Bates): 8-2
(No. 2) Iris Li/Maddie Kirby (Vassar) def. Isabella Saul/Julia Anderson (Bates): 8-7 (7-2)
(No. 3) Ananya Krishnan/Elyse Duley (Vassar) def. Lizzie Frekko/Liv Gidlow (Bates): 8-1

The Bobcats' lone point came at No. 4 singles as Saul outlasted Vassar's Kirby (3-6, 6-1, 10-7) in a three-set thriller. Friedman found herself on the wrong end of a three-set battle of her own as the Bates senior captain lost to McCusker 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 4-10 at the No. 1 position.

Other results include:

(No. 2) Dowd (Vassar) def. Anderson (Bates): 6-0, 6-4
(No. 3) Li (Vassar) def. Westmoreland (Bates): 7-5, 6-1
(No. 5) Krishnan (Vassar) def. Frekko (Bates): 6-2, 6-1
(No. 6): Duley (Vassar) def. Ava Lyon (Bates): 6-4, 6-2

Bates (2-6) returns to NESCAC action this Saturday as the garnet and white visits Connecticut College for an 11:00 a.m. showdown with the Camels.