PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — Nancy Martin and Catlin Schneider scored three in the eighth and final end to post a 7-6 win over Emilie and Robert Desjardins in Wednesday's morning draw at the Canadian mixed curling championship.

The Desjardins rink started with last rock and took an early 4-0 lead, but Martin and Schneider scored deuces in the fourth and sixth ends to pull within one.

Team Desjardins took a two-point lead into the final end after scoring one in the seventh, but Martin drew for three in the eighth to improve her team's record to 3-1.

"Later in the game we started to get our draw weight down a little better," said Schneider. It was a little straighter today so it took us a little bit of time to see how the rocks were coming into the house. We stuck with it and we out-curled them late and that's kind of what you have to do to make the last one."

Martin and Schneider entered Wednesday's later draws in second place in Pool A. Pool leaders Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman improved to 3-0 with a 7-6 win over Shannon Birchard and Jason Gunnlaugson (1-3).

The Desjardins (2-2) fell into a tie for fifth in the pool.

In other Draw 7 action, Sherry Just and Tyrel Griffith (1-3) picked up their first victory, coming back from a 3-0 deficit en route to a 7-4 victory against Kim and Wayne Tuck (0-3). And Dawn and Mike McEwen (2-2) posted an 8-7 win over Reid Carruthers and Jill Officer (2-1).

In Pool B, Geoff Walker and Laura Crocker and Brendan Bottcher and Dana Ferguson both improved to 4-0 with wins in Draw 8. Walker and Crocker cruised to a 10-4 win over Tyler Stewart and Nicole Westlund-Stewart (0-4) while Bottcher and Ferguson held on for a 6-5 victory over Chelsea Carey and Colin Hodgson (2-1).

Former men's Olympic champion Brad Gushue and partner Val Sweeting picked up their first win in three matches, scoring four in the eighth end for a 10-8 win over Sherry Middaugh and Jon Epping (1-3). Kalynn Park and Charley Thomas evened their record at 2-2 with a 6-4 win over Dustin Kalthoff and Marliese Kasner (0-3).

Four more draws were scheduled for Wednesday.

The winner of the tournament will represent Canada when mixed curling doubles makes its debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

The first- and second-place team in each pool will advance along with the next four teams in the overall standings. Tiebreakers and the opening round of the playoffs begin Friday and the final is scheduled for Sunday.

The Pyeongchang Games are scheduled for Feb. 9-25.