By Jim Fenton
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team was handed its first Little East Conference loss Tuesday afternoon.
The Bears were defeated by Rhode Island College, 6-3, in a meeting of two undefeated teams in the conference.
BSU had defeated the Anchormen in the Little East tournament championship round last spring.
BSU had a three-match winning streak stopped by RIC and is now 4-4 overall, 2-1 in the conference.
The Anchormen have won six straight matches and are 6-1 overall and 4-0 atop the conference.
The Bears won a pair of singles matches and one doubles match at the RIC Tennis Center.
Junior Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) was a winner at No. 1 singles for BSU, downing senior Noah Morin (Smithfield, R.I.), 6-4, 6-1.
Freshman Tyler Rocchio (Attleboro, Mass.) earned a 5-7, 6-3, 13-11 win for the Bears at No. 5 singles as he outlasted RIC freshman James McShane (Riverside, R.I.). Rocchio has won five straight singles matches and is 7-1 on the season in singles competition.
At No. 3 doubles, Rocchio and junior Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) won over freshman Kyle Neuendorf (Attleboro, Mass.) and senior Zach Siemmao (Wakefield, R.I.), 8-6. The Bears' third-flight pairing is a perfect 3-0 since being put together.
Freshman Travis Chartier (Rehoboth, Mass.) gave RIC a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles over junior Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) and freshman Ethan Clegg (Chepachet, R.I.) was a 6-3, 6-1 winner at No. 3 singles over BSU sophomore Khiem Nguyen (Burlington, Vt.).
At No. 4 singles, RIC senior Elijah Gouin (Glocester, R.I.) won over senior Matthew Krampf (Littleton, Mass.), 6-0, 6-1, and Neuendorf defeated BSU sophomore Anthony Lucas (Weymouth, Mass.), 6-3, 6-4.
RIC won at No. 1 doubles with Morin and Chartier defeating Beatrice and Nguyen, 8-5, and at No. 2 doubles with Gouin and Clegg prevailing over Ayson and Lucas, 8-3.
BSU will host Western Connecticut State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
RIC travels to Vermont Thursday for a 2:30 p.m. match with Norwich University.