SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Western New England rallied from a 5-1 deficit to post a 9-5 win over Westfield State University in a non-conference baseball game at Trelease Park on Wednesday afternoon.

The Golden Bears, ranked #28 in the ABCA Division III Coaches Poll, improved to 17-4 on the season and won their eighth straight game and 14^th in their last 15. Westfield falls to 12-12-1 on the year. The Golden Bears tipped the Owls for second time in the last four days.

Westfield State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Colin Dunn walked, advanced to third on Alex Lafayette's single, and Dunn scored on Anthony Crowley's fielders' choice that erased Lafayette at second.

WNEU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third as Jamie Schofield walked, stole second, and scored on Alex Loparco's single to center.

The Owls threatened to break the game open in the top of the fifth, getting 2-run hits from John Lippincott and Dunn to grab a 5-1 lead.

Western New England started the comeback against Owls reliever Trevor Edwards in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three times with two-out, including a pair of runs on Ben Lacroix's double.

The Bears struck for two more in the bottom of the sixth on wall-scraping 2-run home run to right from Jamie Schofield that had just enough carry to elude the leap of Owls rightfielder Kyle Murphy for a 6-5 lead.

Westfield put a pair of men on base in the eighth inning but was unable to score.

WNE tacked on three more in the bottom half of the eighth, including a solo shot from Zac Nussbam for the final margin.

Edwards (0-1) took the loss in relief on a planned staff day for the Owls pitchers. Kevin Hummer picked up the win in relief of Bears starter Kevin Besko, with Bob Hamel working a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.

Western New England is back in action tomorrow at Eastern Connecticut, while Westfield has a key weekend of MASCAC action, hosting Salem State on Saturday for a doubleheader, and then hosting Fitchburg State on Patriots' Day Monday.