BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Suffolk University edged host Bridgewater State University, 5-4, in non-conference men's tennis action on Thursday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

The visiting Rams improve to 5-1 on the season with the win, while the Bears slip to 2-5 with their fourth straight setback.

Bridgewater won two of the three doubles flight to take the early 2-1 lead.  BSU senior Jesse Gotlib (Dartmouth, Mass.) and freshman Matt McGee (Warren, R.I.) teamed for a 9-7 win at the second flight, while senior Cody Farrell (Scituate, Mass.) and sophomore Michael Mello (Dartmouth, Mass.) posted an 8-1 victory at number three.

Mello gave the Bears a 3-1 advantage with a 6-1, 6-0 straight set triumph at sixth singles. The Rams, however, claimed straight sets wins by sophomore Calixto Romero (Lima, Peru) at number one (6-3, 6-0), senior Drew Reilly (Boston, Mass.) at the second flight (6-2, 6-4) and senior Aaron Lau (Hong Kong, China) at number three (7-5, 6-3) to jump ahead, 4-3.

Senior Vassilli Stroganov (Heorsholm, Germany) would secure the match victory for Suffolk with a hard-fought win at fourth singles over BSU senior Eric Johnson (Kingston, Mass.).  After splitting the first two sets, both of which went to the tie-breaker, Stroganov captured the flight with a 10-7 decision in the super tie-breaker.

McGee rounded out the scoring with a 7-6 (11-9), 6-4 straight set win at fifth singles.

Both teams open conference play on Saturday on the road at one.  The Bears take on Little East Conference foe UMass Boston, while the Wildcats battle Great North East Athletic Conference rival Johnson & Wales University.