Strong Pitching Sends Sharon High Baseball Team to the Division 2 Semifinals With Win Over Oliver Ames

The Sharon High baseball team used a strong pitching performance to defeat Oliver Ames, 2-0, Tuesday in the Division 2 South quarterfinals at Frothingham Park in Easton.

"I think one through nine, we have a good team and they’ve worked hard all year long," Sharon coach Joel Peckam said. "I told them, if we score two or three runs, we’re going to win the game. Pitching did it for us. Pitching and defense has always been successful."

Now, the Eagles will play Stoughton, who defeated Greater New Bedford Voke, 13-9, in a quarterfinal match in New Bedford. The game will be Wednesday at 4 p.m.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Sharon lefty reliever Jake Fishman got out of a bases-loaded jam with a fly out to center and then a strikeout to end the game.

"He’s the real deal, "said Peckman. "It was a little scruffy at the end but he came through when it counted."

Will Ginsberg pitched five strong inning for the Eagles before being relieved by Fishman with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning. With Oliver Ames' David McKinnon, the Hockomock League MVP, and John McMillian on base via walks, Fishman got a strikeout for the first out of the inning and went on to retire the next two batters to get out the jam, keeping the Tigers scoreless.

In the top of sixth inning, the Eagles were able to load the bases. Oliver Ames' Chris Servello who came on in relief of sophomore starter Brendan Welch, got a ground ball for a force out at home plate and a strikeout to getting of the jam.

Sharon's two runs were scored early on.

The Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Brad Kaufman singed in Michael Birschbach.The Eagles upped the lead to 2-0 in the fourth as Maxwell Bauman singled in Eric Lesser.

"They just bled the ball in there," Oliver Ames coach Leo Duggan said. "But, that’s all you’ve got to do. It’s the tournament. You play for one or two runs."

Ginsberg went five innings for the Eagles, only allowing two hits and three walks - two in the sixth inning.

"My junior, Will Ginsberg, pitched a great game," Peckam said. "He kept us in it, he threw strikes, he did everything. That was big for us. I’m very pleased with that."

Despite only giving up the two runs, Welch got tagged with the loss.

It was the final game for Oliver Ames seniors Casey Barboza, Brian Brady, Greg Cummings, David MacKinnon, Eddie Deveau, Andrew Mancini, Brad Fleming, Daniel Bonnarrigo and Brandon Gagliardi.

"They’re part of a legacy that has won the Hockomock League the last four years in a row," Duggan said. "No team in Oliver Ames baseball has ever done that."