MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Southern New Hampshire University women's tennis team edged Saint Michael's College 5-4 Wednesday afternoon at the SNHU courts.  The Penmen, who have won three in a row and six of seven in the spring season, improved to 7-4 overall and in the NE-10, while the Purple Knights, who entered the match in second place in the NE-10, are now 11-5 and 8-2 in the league.

With the match tied 4-4, the match came down to the No. 5 singles match between Melissa Ramos (Stoughton, MA) of SNHU and Marren Ranks of Saint Michael's.  After winning the first set 6-4, Ramos took down the victory for the Penmen with a 6-4 win in the second set.

Also earning singles victories for SNHU were Catalina Echeverry (Cali, Colombia), a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 winner at first singles, and Juliet Verhofstad (Plymouth, NH), who rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 4.  Echeverry and Lauren Nigrelli (Westerly, RI) were 8-4 winners at No. 1 doubles, while Amanda Nason (Center Sandwich, NH) and Ramos remained unbeaten in doubles competition in 2007-08 with a 9-7 win at third doubles.

SNHU closes out the regular season Thursday when it hosts Bentley College for a 4:00 match.
 

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Southern New Hampshire 5, Saint Michael's 4

Singles:
1. Catalina Echeverry (SNH) def. Lindsay Horne (STM) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
2. Deanna Giguere (STM) def. Lauren Nigrelli (SNH) 6-3, 6-3
3. Catherine Dalton (STM) def. Kristen Franco (SNH) 6-1, 6-4
4. Juliet Verhofstad (SNH) def. Michelle Wood (STM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Melissa Ramos (SNH) def. Marran Ranks (STM) 6-4, 6-4
6. Marybeth Ash (STM) def. Amanda Nason (SNH) 7-6(7-1), 6-4

Doubles:
1. Echeverry/Nigrelli (SNH) def. Horne/Giguere (STM) 8-4
2. Wood/Ash (STM) def. Alison Waring/Verhofstad (SNH) 8-4
3. Nason/Ramos (SNH) def. Megan Conway/Ranks (STM) 9-7

Records: SNHU 7-4 (7-4 NE-10), STM 11-5 (8-2 NE-10)