Local teams square off in Holland Softball Tournament

Some of the area?s top softball teams will be on field Saturday and Sunday at Breed?s Grace Rogato Field in the 2015 John Holland Softball Tournament.
The action kicks off on Saturday with a pair of semifinal games. Lynn English and Swampscott play at 5:30 p.m. with five-time defending champion St. Mary?s and Lynn Classical scheduled for 7:30 p.m.The championship game is at 1 p.m. Sunday, following the consolation game at 11 a.m.
The tournament is named for John Holland, who helped to form the softball program for Greater Lynn Babe Ruth. That program has since turned out countless New England regional champions along with many of the players who will be on the field over the weekend.
The Classical-St. Mary?s game on Saturday will have a special meaning for first-year Rams coach Erica Richard.
Richard has been a part of the Holland for over a decade. First, it was as a player at St. Mary?s beginning in 2002. Then after attending college, she spent the last few seasons as one of Colleen Newbury?s assistants for the Spartans.
On Saturday, however, Richard is excited to be wearing the green and gold of the Rams and facing her mentor on the sidelines.
?It?s kind of cool to come full circle,” Richard said. “St. Mary?s will always be special to me and I wouldn?t be where I am now without Colleen and that program. But I?m totally part of the Rams family now and have to get used to wearing green.”
The game also has the makings of being a good one as the Spartans come in with a 15-2 record and as Catholic Central League/Large champions. Classical, meanwhile, has been a player in the Northeastern Conference/North race all season and sports an 11-5 record.
?I came into this year optimistic but was a little worried how the girls would transition to having a new coach,” Richard said. “But we traveled to the Cape before the season and it really brought us all together.”
The Spartans and Rams played in the title game last season with St. Mary?s prevailing, 5-1.Game one on Saturday will have the Big Blue facing an English team that, though winless, has given some of the NEC?s top teams some fits this season under first year coach Jack Bartlett.