Men's Tennis Drops 7-2 Decision to Little East Foe UMass Boston

BOSTON, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team dropped a 7-2 decision to Little East Conference foe UMass Boston on Saturday afternoon.

UMass improve to 5-6 on the season and 2-1 in the Little East, while Bridgewater slips to 2-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Bears have dropped five straight matches.

UMass Boston opened the match with an 8-1 victory by Sean Cullen (Medway, Mass.) and Charles Lai (Boston, Mass.) at number one doubles.

The Beacons pulled out a victory at number two doubles with Eglis Bizhoti (Kucovë, Albania) and Mark Grinhaus (Scarsdale, N.Y.) pulling away for an 8-4 victory.

Bridgewater State cut the deficit to 2-1 after doubles play, when the Bears' third-flight pair of Cody Farrell (Scituate, Mass.) and Michael Mello (Dartmouth, Mass.) recorded an 8-4 decision.

UMass Boston, however, proceeded to win the first five singles matches to cruise to the 7-2 win.

Bizhoti posted a 6,-0, 6-0 straight set win at third-flight singles.  Cullen pushed the Beacons lead to 4-1 when he earned a 7-5, 6-1 victory at top-flight singles. The Beacons clinched the victory at number two singles, as Lai also won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.

UMass Boston kept the momentum going moments later, when Grinhaus closed out a 6-2, 6-4 victory at number four singles. Jack Wang (Suzhou, China) secured UMass Boston's seventh and final point with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win at number five singles.

The Bears closed out the match with their second point of the day, as Mello earned a 7-6 (8-6), 6-0 victory at sixth-flight singles.