Every trainer on The voice have their own musical preferences, which inevitably affect the teams they put together. The result is that similarly talented artists compete against each other right at the start of the battles. That was the situation when Gabrielle Zabosky and Frankie Torres took the stage on Tuesday for the final battle of the night.

Both 24-year-old Torres and 25-year-old Zabosky on Team Gwen became fast friends behind the scenes. They met and got to know each other during the blinds, and they hung out, went bowling, watched movies, and blew off steam between periods of intense competitive pressure. All of these bonds proved to be preparation for the ultimate test of friendship on the Battles stage. Suddenly they had another welcome excuse to hang out, but it was bittersweet because it meant, one way or another, that one of them was about to leave Team Gwen.

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Zabosky and Torres each executed a 4-chair turn during the blinds, setting the stage for what would easily be one of the toughest decisions in the competition to date. As the duo finished rehearsing their song choice, a modified arrangement of INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart,” Stefani realized the corner she had painted herself into.

“Wow, that was so good. “I’m completely screwed,” Stefani said. “I didn’t think they would be such a perfect match.”

The voice Team Gwen Coach Battle: Gabrielle Zabosky vs. Frankie Torres

Torres began the battle song quietly and slowly, accompanied by supporting vocals from Zabosky. They nailed a few early harmonies before cheering the song on to each other as well as the coaches and audience. It was clear that everyone gave their best to the song and barely missed a beat. From up on the stage they beamed together, but perhaps one of them beamed just a little brighter.

“That was great. I love this song; I love this choice,” said Michael Bublé. “The song is deep and rich and beautiful and shockingly rocky, and you guys just went for it and did it.” Bublé praised both artists for both their restraint and their vocal power, as each left room for the other to shine.

“I was thoroughly impressed. I really appreciated that it wasn’t about trying to outdo each other, but rather about complementing each other. “I just want to commend you ladies for singing a song at a high level and making Gwen’s decision difficult,” said Snoop Dogg.

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“Frankie, I love your tone, I love your position in your register. Gabrielle, I love the high parts, you remind me so much of Barbra Jean on the Reba show. If I had to choose, I would choose Gabrielle,” offered Reba McEntire.

And then there was coach Gwen Stefani, who was faced with a seemingly impossible decision. “Frankie, I love that you’re doing this skirt thing, which is just rare these days, especially for a girl. You sounded absolutely beautiful and it was incredible. With Gabrielle, rehearsals were about getting her to get out of her own way. You’re really good and I want you to let go and just do it,” Stefani said.

After a moment’s consideration, Stefani announced Zabosky as the winner of the battle, advancing Team Gwen to the knockout rounds. “Gabrielle has really put in the effort and is super talented. I think the more confident she becomes, the more vocal ability we’ll see. I had to go with Gabrielle,” Stefani said.

Meanwhile, Torres said goodbye and received some last-minute encouragement from the coaches. She was about to disappear for good when Reba hit her steal button and added Torres to Team Reba.

“I did a little play there because I said Gabrielle, so you would go with Gabrielle so I could have Frankie,” McEntire told Stefani. “I definitely wanted to play steal. I loved her tone, her stage presence; I just loved her voice and that’s why I had to use my steal for Frankie.”