By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team handed Thomas College of Maine its first loss of the season Wednesday afternoon.

The Bears defeated the Terriers of Waterville, Maine, 6-1, at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts to reach the .500 mark at 4-4.

Thomas had entered the non-conference match with an 8-0 record. BSU has won the past five matches against the Terriers.

The Bears won all three doubles matches and five singles matches against Thomas.

The duo of senior Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) and junior Khiem Nguyen (Burlington, Mass.) won at No. 1 doubles for BSU, 6-2, over freshman Thai Nguyen (Raleigh, N.C.) and sophomore Casey Duncan (Newcastle, Maine).

Freshman Will Horton (Lakeville, Mass.) and senior Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) won at No. 2 doubles over sophomore Dominic Clifford (Smithfield, Maine) and sophomore Camden Herrick (Skowhegan, Maine), 6-1.

The No. 3 doubles team of juniors Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) and Anthony Lucas (Weymouth, Mass.) won over graduate student Nick Magiera (Casco, Maine) and freshman Ricky Salazar (San Benito, Texas), 6-0.

Horton scored a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles over Nguyen while Beatrice defeated Clifford, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

BSU's Nguyen won over Herrick at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-2, and Ayson stopped junior Calvin Cutler (Standish, Maine) at No. 4 singles, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.

Hebert was the winner at No. 6 singles, 6-0, 6-1, over Magiera.

The lone win for Thomas was by Duncan at No. 5 singles over Lucas, 4-6, 4-1, retired.

BSU has a Little East Conference match on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Western Connecticut State University.

Thomas will be hosting the State University of New York Delhi on Saturday at 1 p.m.