OA Baseball Looks to Continue Winning Tradition

At , winning hasn't been hard to come by.

The Oliver Ames baseball team is coming off a 15-6 season a year ago and a 20-2 season the year before.

With the majority of last year's Davenport Division championship team returning, the Tigers hope their winning tradition will continue in 2012.

"Our first goal is to try to qualify for the tournament because we’ve qualified 24 out of 26 years," head coach Leo Duggan said. "That’s our first goal and then it’s just to keep improving every day."

If the first two games are any indication, the 2-0 Tigers have little to improve upon so far. OA defeated Attleboro 7-0 last week and handily beat Sharon 4-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Frothingham Park.

In the two games, senior pitcher David Holmes pitched all 14 innings.

Against Sharon on Tuesday, Holmes struck out 13 while walking 3 and only allowing 2 hits.

"David pitched very well," Duggan said. "Over 14 innings he hasn’t allowed a run. Last time he only had one or two strikeouts and today he had 13, which is pretty good. He pitched really well."

Lefty hurler Ryan O'Shea will join Holmes in the Tigers' rotation to create a deadly tandem for opposing teams.

"We haven’t pitched Ryan yet," Duggan said. "Ryan’s our big lefty. He should be back sometime next week, so that should make two quality starters."

Duggan said younger pitchers will get opportunities for the third spot in OA's rotation.

Junior shortstop David MacKinnon could be an option for the Tigers off the mound. The captain has already made a mark with the bat and in the field since starting for the Tigers as a freshman.

During Tuesday's game, MacKinnon helped account for two of OA's four runs, knocking in one and scoring another while going 2-2 with a sacrifice fly. He also helped kill what could have been a Sharon rally by showing some leather and stabbing a line drive from the air at shortstop.

In addition to MacKinnon, the Tigers had strong production from the top of their order on Tuesday. Senior Jim Sullivan and junior Mike McMillan went a combined 3 for 7, while accounting for OA's first two runs of the game when McMillan tripled to knock in Sullivan, then scored on a MacKinnon sacrifice fly.

"Jimmy Sullivan’s done really well since we moved him to leadoff about halfway through last year," Duggan said. "He’s hit the ball really well for us. Mike McMillan, our center fielder, has really, really improved."

The Tigers will also look for production from senior Matt Harding and junior Andrew Mancini, who were both key players on last year's OA team.

Harding, who went 2-3 Tuesday, including an RBI triple, will look to provide OA with power from the cleanup spot.

The Tigers catcher is also a member of the OA wrestling team.

"Matt Harding, this will be his third year starting for us," Duggan said. "He got really beaten up in wrestling, but he’s starting to come around. His swing was really, really good today."

Junior Brad Fleming and senior Drew Egger will be key for the Tigers moving forward both offensively and in the field.

On Tuesday, a diving catch in right field by Egger prevented a Sharon run from scoring. It was Sharon's lone opportunity.

"I think the big thing was when they had the first kid on third base they couldn’t get him home," Duggan said. "That makes a big difference right there."

The Tigers also hope to have production from younger players. The Tigers roster includes two sophomores: Brad Capece and Brian Holmes.

Brian Holmes started at third base Tuesday afternoon.

"We’ve got a little depth and some young kids improving every day," Duggan said.