BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's tennis team defeated visiting Western Connecticut State University, 6-3, in a Little East Conference match on Tuesday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

The Bears improve to 5-8 on the season and 4-4 in the Little East, while the visiting Colonials fall to 5-8 overall and 3-4 in conference play.

Bridgewater State captured two of the three doubles flights and four of the six singles matches.

In doubles play, the Bears' second flight tandem of senior Emma Mills (Westport, Mass.) and junior Olivia Sweeney (Taunton, Mass.) cruised to an 8-0 win, while grad student Rachel Tarantino (Mansfield, Mass.) and senior Angelique Gray (Barnstable, Mass.) breezed to an 8-0 victory at the third flight.

Senior Emma Chapman (Danbury, Conn.) and grad student Carole Allers (Wilton, Conn.) picked up the Colonials' lone doubles point with an 8-4 decision at number one.

Straight set victories by Mills at the third flight (6-0, 6-0) and Gray at number six (6-0, 6-2) extended the Bridgewater State lead to 4-1.

Chapman earned a tough 6-4, 6-4 straight set decision in the battle of the top flight singles players to cut the WestConn deficit to 4-2.

Tarantino recorded the fifth and deciding point for the Bears with a 7-5, 6-4 straight set victory at number five. BSU sophomore Vanessa Rosa (Taunton, Mass.) capped off the win for the hosts with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) triumph at the fourth flight.

Allers rounded out the scoring with a tightly contested 7-5, 7-5 decision at second singles.

Both teams are back in action on Thursday afternoon. The Bears entertain Clark University at three, while the Colonials head to UMass Boston to complete a suspended match with the Beacons.