SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - The Bates College tennis team capitalized on victories in four out of six singles to hold off Mount Holyoke College for a 6-3 win on Saturday afternoon at the Kendall Fieldhouse Courts. The Bobcats are now 2-2 on the season, while the Lyons slip to 8-5 overall.

Bates opened strong in doubles action as the first flight duo of Bella Stone (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) and Elizabeth Erbafina (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) bested MHC's Ayame Yazawa (Tokyo, Japan/St. Johnsbury Academy) and Margaux Holloschutz (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Saddle River Day School) by an 8-6 margin.

In the second flight, sophomore Maisie Silverman (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) and junior Kate Rosenthal (Pittsburgh, Pa./Ellis School) had an 8-2 win over Lyons' sophomore Ishitia Tibrewal (Kolkata, India/Modern High School for Girls) and first year Madison Rosen (Portland, Ore./Grant).

The Lyons battled back in the third flight as first year Clara Wang (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and junior Amy Chen (Hilo, Hawaii/Hilo) defeated senior Emma Blakeley (Hope, Maine/Camden Hills Regional) and senior Emma Mattson (Dana Point, Calif./Dana Hills) by a 9-8 (7-4) margin.

In singles action, Silverman bested Yazawa in the first flight by a 6-3, 6-3 score. Erbafina posted a 6-0, 6-1 win against Holloschutz, but MHC got points in the middle to pull the match closer. Tibrewal recorded a 6-0, 7-5 victory against Stone at three, while Wang battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-2) victory over Rosenthal at four.

Blakeley went on to defeat Lyons senior Michelle Cai (Hong Kong, China/St. Paul's Co-Educational College), 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 at five, while junior Olivia Voccola (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) had a 6-0, 6-0 victory against MHC sophomore Katherine Schumacher (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) at six.

The Lyons are back in action on March 26 when they host Trinity College at 11am. Bates is right back on the court on Sunday when it hosts Colby-Sawyer at 1pm.