Wrestling Falls Short in 21-19 Loss to Johnson & Wales

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State College wrestling team dropped a tough 21-19 decision to 23rd ranked Johnson & Wales University in a Pilgrim Wrestling League (PWL) match this evening at Kelly Gymnasium in Bridgewater. 

Johnson & Wales erased a 19-9 deficit by winning the final three bouts of the night capped off by an 8-1 decision by freshman Humphrey Swift (Danbury, CT) in the heavyweight class.  Junior Brennan Ward (Waterford, CT) got the rally started with a pin at 184 to cut the deficit to 19-15.  Senior Patrick McCrohan (Berkley, MA) then posted a 3-2 decision at 197 to pull the Wildcats to within a point (19-18) and set the stage for Swift's match-ending heroics.

Johnson and Wales jumped out to a 9-3 lead as a Brian Conley (Egg Harbor Twp, NJ) pin at 125 and a John Donaleski (Bellville, NJ) 12-10 decision at 141 sandwiched a 7-1 decision by BSC sophomore 133-pounder Ken Francis (New Bedford, MA).

Bridgewater State then won four straight bouts with freshman Sean Fields (Norwalk, CT) posting a 13-5 major decision win at 149.  Fields was wrestling in place of senior John Marsh (New Bedford, MA) who is ranked fifth nationally in Division III.

Senior 157-pounder Frank Cammisa (Danbury, CT) followed with an 8-2 decision to give BSC a 10-9 lead.  A 9-3 decision by junior Ethan Raymond (Middlebury, VT) and a pin by junior 174-pounder Zachary Bates (Leyden, MA) increased the Bears' advantage to 19-9.

Bridgewater State (0-1, 0-1 PWL) will travel to Bristol, Rhode Island on Saturday for a quad match hosted by Roger Williams University starting at noon.  Johnson & Wales (3-1, 2-0 PWL) will compete in a quad match at WPI on Sunday at noon.