NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Bates College women's tennis dominated singles play Saturday as the Bobcats were victorious in all six one-on-one contests en route to a 7-2 defeat of host-Connecticut College for their first NESCAC triumph of the spring season.
The Bobcats went into singles action trailing, 2-1, after dropping two of three contests in doubles competition.
Ally Friedman and
Iris Westmoreland secured Bates' lone win with an 8-3 defeat of Connectcut College's Courtney Banks and Maya Kowalska at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2, the Camels' Caitlin Cass and Lily Kerachsky topped
Isabella Saul and
Julia Anderson, 8-5. MaryElla Prendergast and Sana Bhat edged
Lizzie Frekko and
Liv Gidlow by a slim score of 8-7 (7-5) at No. 3.
It would be all Bobcats in the second half of Saturday's action, but not without a fight as a trio of Bobcats needed three sets each to seal singles' victories.
Friedman dismissed Cass (6-3, 3-6, 6-1) in the No. 1 slot. Falling, 6-1, in the first set of her match vs. Kowalska at No. 3, Westmoreland rebounded with wins of 6-3 and 6-4 to secure the comeback victory.
At No. 6,
Ava Lyon held off Bhat in a three-set thriller (7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4).
Anderson (6-2, 6-3 vs. Kerachsky) and Saul (6-1, 6-3 vs. Banks) locked down straight-set wins at No. 2 and 4, respectively. Frekko, playing at No. 5, finally put away a pesky Prendergast in two lengthy sets, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-0).
The Camels fall to 5-5 (0-3 NESCAC) with the home loss.
Bates (3-6, 1-2 NESCAC) will take the court again next Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. match scheduled at #20 Tufts.
