By Jim Fenton

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team fell short in a comeback bid against Westminster College of New Wilmington, Pa., Thursday afternoon.

The Bears fell behind the Titans by four runs early, then rallied late, only to strand five runners in the final two innings.

BSU was defeated by Westminster, 5-3, on the next-to-last day at The Ripken Experience.

The Bears fell to 4-3 while the Titans improved to 7-3.

Trailing, 5-2, in the bottom of the eighth, BSU loaded the bases with one out on singles by sophomore Cam Beltramini (Hanson, Mass.), junior Logan Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) and junior Rylan Secovich (Southwick, Mass.).

But Westminster got the final two outs of the frame without a run scoring.

In the ninth, BSU put two runners on with two outs as junior Benjamin Sepeck (Whitman, Mass.) singled to left and senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) singled through the right side. That
sent pinch runner Jeyden Espinal (Fall River, Mass.), a sophomore, into scoring position.

Beltramini drove in Espinal to cut the deficit to two, but the Titans worked out of the inning without any further damage.

Westminster took a 1-0 in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly to right by sophomore Ian Temple (Harrison City, Pa.).

The Titans struck for three runs in the third for the 4-0 lead.

Junior Braden Zeigler (New Castle, Pa.) had an RBI single up the middle, sophomore Jack Strausser (Greenville, Pa.) delivered an RBI single to right and freshman Breckin Minich (New Bethlehem, Pa.) added a sacrifice fly.

BSU got on the scoreboard with two runs in the sixth.

Freshman Nick Berube (Swampscott, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and Prampin and Beltramini drew walks to load the bases.

The first run scored when Petrosino walked and Secovich made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly to left.

Westminster's final run came in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to right by sophomore Aaron Jones (Buffalo, N.Y.).

Senior Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) took the loss for BSU, allowing four runs and 10 hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings. He was relieved by senior Matt Kustigian (Charlton, Mass.), who gave up a run and two hits in two innings.

Freshman Jacob Harrelson (Canal Fulton, Ohio) was the winner, scattering six hits with three strikeouts in five scoreless innings.

Both teams had 12 hits with Secovich and Beltramini going 3-for-4 and senior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) 2-for-4 for BSU.

Westminster was led by sophomore Tom Rook (Clarence Center, N.Y.), who was 3-for-4, and Zeigler, who was 3-for-5.

BSU finishes the spring break trip on Friday at 12:30 p.m. against SUNY Canton at Ebbets Field.