Wrestling Sweeps Tri-Match Versus RIC & Trinity

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State College wrestling team swept a tri-match with Trinity College and Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon at the John J. Kelly Gymnasium in Bridgewater.

The Bears knocked off Trinity, 30-22, before upsetting New England third-ranked RIC, 20-18, in a battle of Pilgrim Wrestling League (PWL) teams. RIC finished with a split of the tri-match as the Anchormen defeated Trinity by a margin of 39-12.

In the 30-22 win over Trinity, the Bears spotted the Bantams a 5-0 lead before winning six of the next seven bouts to put the match away.  Freshman Ken Francis (New Bedford) at 133 and sophomore Ethan Raymond (Middlebury, VT) at 157 each picked up pins, while junior Jeff Esposti (Brookfield, CT) registered a technical fall (19-4) at 184 and junior Frank Cammisa (Danbury, CT) tallied a 17-4 major decision victory at 149.

Senior 197-pounder Patrick Kumf (Milford, MA) and freshman heavyweight Greg Vaughan (Hingham, MA) recorded wins by fall for Trinity, while sophomore Maxwell Walk (Paoli, PA) at 125 and junior Jacob Gire (Union City, CA) at 141 tallied a pair of technical falls.

In the second match of the day, RIC got three pins as well as three forfeit victories as the Anchormen breezed to the 39-12 win over Trinity. Freshman 125-pounder Jared Rhodes (Harrisburg, PA), freshman Scott Legacy (Bennington, VT) at 133, and freshman 157-pounder Jordan Jacquo (New Britain, CT) posted the wins by fall for RIC, while Gire paced the Bantams with a pin at 141.

In the big upset win over RIC, the Bears erased an early 12-3 deficit by winning five straights bouts.  BSC would ultimately hold on for the 20-18 victory.  Cammisa started the comeback with a 1-0 decision over sophomore Kevin Sutherland (Dauphin, PA) at 149. Sutherland had taken over the top ranking in New England after Cammisa was sidelined due to injury.

A 12-0 major decision by Raymond at 157 and a 7-2 victory by sophomore Mike White (Canton, MA) at 165 gave BSC a 13-12 lead. Junior 174-pounder Zachary Bates (Leyden, MA), who entered the match ranked sixth in New England, then proceeded to pull off a dramatic 4-2 win over third ranked Joe Manley (Wayland, MA).  Esposti followed with a 13-4 major decision at 184 to make the score 20-12 in favor of the Bears.

Junior 197-pounder Ray Moore (Wrentham, MA) and freshman heavyweight Richard Wapenyi (Bridgewater, MA) earned the decisions in the final two bouts of the match, but that would not be enough as the Bears held on for the exciting win.

The Bears wrap up the dual meet schedule with an overall record of 4-11 including a 2-4 mark in the PWL.  RIC finishes at 17-6 on the season and 4-2 in the Pilgrim League, while Trinity ends the season at 5-16. All three teams will be competing in the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Division III Championships next Saturday and Sunday.

Bridgewater State College 30, Trinity College 22

Rhode Island College 39, Trinity College 12 

Bridgewater State College 20, Rhode Island College 18