by Doug Page
DUE WEST, S.C. – The Barton College women's tennis team needed both wins that it tallied in doubles competition on Friday as the Bulldogs tallied a 5-4 victory against the Erskine College Flying Fleet to open Conference Carolinas play.
Barton (5-7, 1-0) recorded wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots in doubles action to hold a one-point edge over the Flying Fleet at the end of the match. The Flying Fleet were victorious in three singles matches but were hindered by a pair of defeats at the three middle singles contests.
The No. 1 pairing of Daria Avram and Marissa Stevenson secured an 8-4 victory against Erskine's top pairing of Katie Loudermilk and Marie Berghaus. Claudia Capellades and Whitney Hamilton recorded an 8-6 win for the Bulldogs at the No. 3 position against the duo of Alex Silver and Morgan Keefe.
Erskine tallied its lone point before heading into singles action at the No. 2 spot as the tandem of Rachel Berkey and Eileen Rickert rallied for an 8-5 win against BC's Vanessa Sanoja and Ada Vargas.
The Flying Fleet would take the No. 1 singles matchup as Loudermilk defeated Barton's Avram 6-3, 6-2. The Bulldogs responded by winning the No. 2, 3, and 4 matches against Erskine. Sanoja tallied a 6-0, 6-3 win, while Stevenson handed Berkey a 6-1, 6-4 loss.
Vargas would need three sets to secure her victory at the No. 4 spot against Rickert as Vargas dropped the opening set 6-3 before rallying for a 7-5 and 6-2 win in each of the next two sets.
Silver and Larissa Brutschin each tallied wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots against BC as Silver defeated Capellades 6-1, 6-4, while Brutschin handed Hamilton a 6-2, 6-2 loss.
Barton heads to Franklin Springs, Ga. for a league contest against Emmanuel College on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The Bulldogs return home to host league member Belmont Abbey on March 21 at 2 p.m.
