Rhode Island College clinched its third consecutive (ninth overall) Little East Conference Regular Season Championship with a 6-3 win at Bridgewater State on Tuesday afternoon. The Anchorwomen have earned a bye and will hold the homecourt advantage throughout the 2017 Little East Championships, which begins on Oct. 17.
THE BASICS
Rhode Island College 6, Bridgewater State 3
Rhode Island College (13-0, 7-0 LEC)
Bridgewater State (9-5, 6-2 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• RIC opened the match with an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles, as senior Dayna Reilly (Swansea, MA) and freshman Laurel Ten Eyck (Warwick, RI) defeated the Bridgewater State team of seniors Alisha Silva (Taunton, MA) and Amanda Strickland (Plymouth, MA).
• Bridgewater State evened the match at 1-1 as senior Bojana Roman (Somerset, MA)and senior Alison Scagnelli (Sutton MA) notched an 8-6 win against RIC freshman Emily Orticerio (Smithfield, RI) and junior Katherine Braganca (Pawtucket, RI) at second doubles.
• The Anchorwomen held a 2-1 advantage after doubles action when freshmen Grace Zangari (Saunderstown, RI) and Victoria Vittori (New Bedford, MA) posted a 9-7 win against BSU sophomore Angelique Gray (Osterville, MA) and junior Rachel Tarantino (Mansfield, MA) at third doubles.
• Roman evened the match for Bridgewater State with a (6-2, 6-0) win against Zangari at No. 2 singles to make the score of the contest 2-2.
• RIC then reeled off a pair of wins as Reilly posted a (6-1, 6-0) victory over Silva at No. 1 singles and freshman Hailey Raskob (North Smithfield, RI) recorded a (6-3, 6-1) win over Gray at the No. 5 singles spot to put the Anchorwomen up by a pair, 4-2, in the contest.
• BSU freshman Olivia Sweeney (Taunton, MA) secured a (6-1, 6-1) win against Ten Eyck at the No. 6 singles spot to cut the visitor's lead down to one, 4-3.
• RIC senior Laura Nastasi (Smithville, NJ) then clinched the match and the LEC Regular Season Championship for the Anchorwomen as she posted a straight set (6-4, 6-2) win over Strickland at No. 4 singles.
• Braganca closed out the match for RIC with a (6-2, 7-6 (10-8)) victory against Scagnelli to give the Anchorwomen the 6-3 victory.
WHO'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will close out the regular season at home against Worcester State on Saturday, Oct. 14 (1 p.m.).
