LEWISTON, Maine -- No. 10 Middlebury defeated No. 32 Bates, 5-2, in NESCAC men's tennis action Saturday afternoon inside Merrill Gymnasium.

The Panthers captured the doubles point by winning two of the three matches. Middlebury struck first at No. 1 doubles, where Julian Wu and Noah Lewis defeated Phillippe Kosyagin and Theo Sardain, 6-2. Bates responded at No. 2 doubles as Eric Diop and Josh Maller earned a 6-4 victory over Thehan Wijemanne and Reif Larsen to even the doubles action. The Panthers ultimately secured the point when Andrew Yim and Hugh Hentschel topped Nicholas Ozer and James Sacco, 6-3, at No. 3 doubles.

Singles play began with Middlebury extending its lead as Hentschel defeated Ozer, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5 singles. Bates answered quickly at No. 2 singles, where Diop posted a strong 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lewis to pull the Bobcats within 2-1.

The Bobcats (3-5, 1-2 NESCAC) trimmed the deficit even further when Rocco Regnier delivered a 6-1, 7-6 win against Larsen at No. 4 singles, briefly leveling the match.

Middlebury (4-0, 3-0 NESCAC) regained momentum in the top of the lineup, however, as Wu outlasted Kosyagin in a three-set battle at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. The Panthers followed with another three-set victory at No. 3 singles, where Wijemanne defeated Sardain 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Sahasrabudhe closed out the afternoon with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Sacco at No. 6 singles. 

Bates will now turn around and host No. 18 Williams Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m., again in Merrill Gym.