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MENDON, N.Y. -- Third-seeded Stevens prevailed over second-seeded Nazareth Saturday, 5-3, in the semifinals of the Empire 8 Conference women's tennis tournament at Mendon Racquet Club. The Ducks captured two of the three doubles matches and won a couple of close singles contests to advance to Sunday's title match.

The Ducks will play Ithaca at 11 a.m. Sunday for the championship. The Bombers defeated Hartwick, 6-0, in the other semifinal match. The winner gains an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in the spring.

Nazareth earned a point at first doubles as Alison Tepas and Alex Vizgaitis defeated Jessica Bourque and Lisa Tessitore, 8-5. The Ducks, however, narrowly won the other two doubles matches -- both by scores of 8-6. Julia Guignard and Danielle Stewart defeated Nazareth's Christine Cary and Cara Yinger at second doubles and Alex Handel and Nathalie Tran won over Nazareth's Ami Petosa and Krista Pagan at third doubles.

In singles, Nazareth got wins from Yinger at #4 and Pagan at #6. Yinger defeated Guignard 6-7, 6-1, 6-0 and Pagan won 6-3, 6-3 over Tran. The pivotal match came at third singles where Cary lost a close match to Stewart 7-6, 7-6. Tessitore also took a three-setter from Vizgaitis at second singles, prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. At #1 singles, Bourque defeated Tepas 6-2, 6-2.