Women's Tennis Falls to RIC in Little East Match, 5-2

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to visiting Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon in a Little East Conference match at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

RIC (4-0, 1-0 ) has won each of the last 12 meetings of the two teams. The Anchorwomen are also 19-11 versus the Bears (2-4, 1-1 LEC) since Bridgewater joined the Little East in 2004.

RIC captured two of the three doubles matches to jump out to a 1-0 lead after doubles competition.

Sophomore Haylie Peacock (West Gardiner, Maine) and senior Erica Botelho (Greenville, R.I.) teamed up for a 6-1 win at number one doubles while sophomores Arianna De Thomas (Providence, R.I.) and Emilia Houwers (Whitewater, Wisc.) combined for a 6-2 victory at the second flight.

The Bears' third flight pairing of juniors Samantha Bettencourt (Tiverton, R.I.) and Fiona Clancy (Middleboro, Mass.) edged freshmen Faith Owren (Richmond, R.I.) and Addison Hadlock (Littleton, N.H.), 7-5.

In singles play, straight set wins by Peacock at the second flight (6-2, 6-0) and De Thomas at number one (6-0,  6-1) extended the RIC lead to 3-0.

BSU sophomore Ava Alves (Taunton, Mass.) got the Bears on the board with a 6-1, 6-2 straight set decision at the sixth flight. Alves is now 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the LEC.

Owren, however, secured the decisive fourth point for the Anchorwomen with a 6-0, 6-2 straight set triumph at number five.

Houwers added a 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 win at the fourth spot for the Anchorwomen, while BSU sophomore Morgan Smith (Taunton, Mass.) capped off the scoring for the Bears with a tough 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (3-7), 10-8 decision at number three.

In upcoming action, the Bears travel to Simmons University on Tuesday afternoon for a four o'clock match with the Sharks while the Anchorwomen host Emerson College on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30.