By Jim Fenton

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The second-longest winning streak by a Bridgewater State University baseball team came to an end on Friday afternoon.

After winning 16 games in a row, the Bears were limited to five hits in a 2-1 loss to Westfield State University at Hagan Field.

BSU (21-6, 15-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference) had not lost a game since March 24 to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The program record for consecutive wins is 20 set in the 1992 season.

The Bears had two of their five singles in the second inning when they scored the lone run off the Owls (13-20, 10-8 MASCAC).

Freshman Dominick Zuliani (Groton, Conn.), in his fifth game of the season, went 2-for-2 for BSU while seniors Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) and DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) plus freshman Nick Berube (Swampscott, Mass.) had the other hits.

BSU went up, 1-0, when Prampin reached on an infield hit, went to second on an errant pickoff throw and scored on Berube's single to left.

Westfield State scored its two runs in the fourth inning.

Sophomore TJ May (Granby, Conn.) singled to left and scored on a double to left by junior Antonio Scalise (Pittsfield, Mass.).

After sophomore Kaen Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y.) sacrificed Scalise to third, the Owls broke the tie on an infield hit by sophomore Jeremiah Bobbi (Lebanon, Conn.).

BSU threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth when Selander singled and pinch runner Jamie Luna (Warwick, R.I.) went to second on a groundout.

But junior AJ Moore (Long Beach, Calif.) retired the next two batters to end the game, recording his fifth save.

Freshman Griffin Pollard (Mystic, Conn.) was the winning pitcher, improving to 3-1. He allowed a run and three hits with three strikeouts in six innings.

Junior Jaden Arruda (Seekonk, Mass.) took the loss for BSU, falling to 2-1. He went four innings and gave up two runs and seven hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Senior Matt Kustigian (Charlton, Mass.) recorded another stellar performance out of the bullpen as he worked the last four innings, striking out two and giving up just one hit. Kustigian has not allowed a run over his last four outings, a total of 13 1/3 innings, as he lowered his ERA to 1.41.

May and senior Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) had two hits each for Westfield State, which finished with eight hits.

The Bears and Owls will meet again Saturday on Senior Day in a doubleheader at Alumni Park starting at noon.