Explosive Sixth Inning Propels OA Baseball to Hock Win Over Attleboro

The Oliver Ames baseball team got more hits in the sixth inning Monday afternoon they it had in the previous 12.

After being no-hit by a trio of King Philip pitchers in Sunday's 3-1 loss, OA had trouble manufacturing runs in the first five innings of Monday's bout with Attleboro at

But, traling 2-1 in the sixth, the OA offense exploded with eight runs on six hits to lift the Tigers to a 9-2 Hockomock League victory over the Blue Bomardiers.

"They’ve been snake bit," OA coach Leo Duggan said. "They haven’t hit the ball very hard lately. In the sixth inning it was justified that we got some hits. Give the kids credit."

Senior Matt Ingargiola led off the rally with a single and fellow senior Ryan O'Shea followed suit. After a line out to the pitcher, freshman Alex Gebba stepped in for just his second varsity at-bat.

Some patient hitting allowed Gebba to drive in Ingargiola and tie the game.

"He got it to 3-2 and fouled off some pitches and did a nice job hitting," Duggan said.

Then the flood gates opened.

Junior Brad Fleming doubled, senior Jim Fitzgerald walked, junior David MacKinnon drove in a run with a single, Andrew Mancini walked and Ingargiola - in his second at-bat of the inning - drove in two runs and scored himself after he hit a triple to center field that generated an errant throw to third base.

"We had a few mental errors and a few physical things," Attleboro coach Matt Bosh said about the sixth inning. "[OA] took advantage of our mistakes which is what they had to do."

Attleboro used four pitchers total - including three in the sixth. Sophomore Travis Tanguay, who started for the Blue Bombardiers, pitched 4 2/3 innings, struck out four and walked five while allowing one run.

"That was his first varsity start," said Bosh. "He’s been a reliever. He pitched great. He ran out of gas there in the end."

The OA explosion in the sixth salvaged a solid performance from its duo of freshman Brandon Welch and junior Dave Mackinnon.

Welch pitched for four innings, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks. MacKinnon pitched the remaining three innings, allowing no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out four.

With the win, OA broke a rare two game losing streak and . Attleboro dropped to 8-7 overall and 7-7 in the Hockomock League.