Boxscore

PHILADELPHIA - In a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference battle to decide the conference tournament's No. 2 and 3 seeds, the Goldey-Beacom College women's tennis team wound up on the losing end of a 5-4 decision against host Chestnut Hill College on Mon. afternoon.

The Lightning (6-2) once led in the match 4-3 courtesy of a third doubles win and three singles wins at the No. 2, 5 and 6 spots, but the Griffins (13-2) won third singles when freshman Filipa Correia had to retire due to injury, and Nastia Scherbakova prevailed over previously undefeated Lightning freshman Stephanie Puentes in three sets to earn Chestnut Hill the victory.

Juniors Blanca Sancho and Vanessa Leon earned an impressive, 8-5 third doubles win over Danielle Knott and Regina Doherty. The No. 3 pair improved to 6-1 on the season with the victory and helped the Lightning keep in striking distance early on.

GBC's No. 1 duo of freshmen Puentes and Correia were defeated by Scherbakova and Kelly Dennis, 8-4 for just their second loss of the season, and senior Marina Sales and sophomore Gabriela Chaves lost for the first time this season in six tries at No. 2 doubles to Maria Parapouras and Morgan Oechsle. The Griffins led 2-1 as the match headed into singles play.

The Lightning then came storming back to win three of the first four completed singles matches to pull in front 4-3. Sancho (6-2) handed Dennis a 6-0, 6-2 loss at No. 2, junior Melanie Bonomo (7-1) bested Knott, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5, and Leon (4-1) defeated Alexis Puhl, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 6. Sales was defeated, 6-0, 6-2 by Oechsle at No. 4, which left all things even with the outcome of the No. 1 and 3 singles matches to determine the victor.

Correia defeated Parapouras decisively in the first set, 6-2, then narrowly lost the second set 7-6, during which she aggravated a foot injury that has plagued her throughout the season. She retired in the third set, and the Lightning ceded the No. 3 singles point.

Meanwhile, Puentes shook off a poor start that saw her lose the first set to Scherbakova, 6-0 and won the second set 6-4. She could not complete the comeback though as the junior Scherbakova handed the undefeated rookie Puentes her first loss of the season by edging her 6-4 in the final set.

These two teams will meet again in the semifinals of the CACC Championship Tournament, hosted by Concordia College on Sat. at 1 p.m.