Providence, R.I.—Junior Matthew Gambardella (West Warwick, RI) clinched the match with a win at No. 4 singles as No. 4-seeded Rhode Island College knocked off No. 5-seeded Western Connecticut, 5-3, in first round action of the 2018 Little East Conference Men's Tennis Championship played at the RIC Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon.

THE BASICS

Rhode Island College 5, Western Connecticut 3

Rhode Island College (13-4)

Western Connecticut (5-8)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIC gained an important, 3-0, advantage by sweeping all of the doubles matches.

• Senior Brett Taggart (North Kingstown, RI) and freshman Alex Bourque (North Smithfield, RI) recorded an 8-6 win over WCSU junior Chauncey Allers (Wilton, CT) and sophomore Aaron Campos (Ridgefield, CT) at the No. 1 doubles spot.

• RIC freshman Cam Chadwick (Narragansett, RI) and junior Chandler Scott (Ashaway, RI) defeated the Colonials tandem of freshman Matthew Carino (Sandy Hook, CT) and freshman Jeff Baker (Simsbury, CT), 8-5, at No. 2 doubles.

• Gambardella and freshman Ethan Hoy (West Warwick, RI) defeated the WCSU pairing of freshman William Hogan (Ridgefield, CT) and senior Jeffrey Hensley (Naugatuck, CT), 8-3, at No.  doubles.

• The Colonials climbed back into the match with singles wins at No. 1, 3 and 6. Campos bested Chadwick (6-2, 6-1) at the top spot, while Hogan downed Bourque (6-1, 6-1) and Hensley bested junior Alan Esposito (Clinton, CT) (6-3, 6-1).

• Hoy put RIC in the position to secure the win, 4-3, by downing Allers (6-4, 6-4) at No. 5 singles.

• Gambardella won (6-7, 6-0, 6-1) at No. 4 singles vs. Baker to send RIC into the semis. Taggart and Carino were in the third set of their match at No. 2 singles when the match ended.

WHAT'S NEXT

• In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will travel to top-seeded UMass Boston on Thursday, May 3 (4 p.m.).