Golden Bears grab 5-4 decision in Newport

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University's Emma Gruber (New Canaan, Conn.) and Kasey Walther (Natick, Mass.) held on for a 9-7 victory at first doubles over Western New England's Joeanna Glantz (Agawam, Mass.) and Lauren Sell (Milford, Conn.). But the Golden Bear pair garnered straight-set singles victories at the top two spots and Western New England earned a 5-4 team win in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action.

Western New England (2-3, 1-3 CCC) earns its first conference victory on the strength of two doubles wins. Before the teams split the six singles matches, the Golden Bears had a 2-1 lead with wins at second doubles from Kelly Byrnes (Berlin, Conn.) and Christina DiAgostino (Bohemia, N.Y.) and third doubles from Jessica Breitwig (Bohemia, N.Y.) and Alice Mathews (Scarborough, Maine).

Salve Regina (2-5, 2-3 CCC) salvaged its point in doubles play as Gruber/Walther broke serve in the 16th game to win by two.

Sell upped the visitors' lead to 3-1 with a 7-5, 6-2 win against Walther at first singles, and Holly Nelson (Tolland, Conn.) rallied from down 5-2 in her first set at fourth singles to win 7-5, 6-0 against Courtney Bailey (No. Dartmouth, Mass.).

Two first-year players and a senior accounted for Salve Regina's points in singles.

Freshman Abigail Packard (Dudley, Mass.) won her team-best fourth match of the season at fifth singles before Glantz completed the straight-set win at second singles over Gruber to clinch the team score.

Freshman Caroline Rodman (Southington, Conn.) won at third singles just seconds before senior Julie Grant (Warwick, R.I.) matched Packard with her fourth singles win of the season.

Salve Regina next plays on grass when the Seahawks host the 30th annual Women's Grass Court Doubles Championships at the Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday (1 p.m.).