Lambert’s return to Bryant successful
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Cory Lambert, who grew up playing ball in Bryant but plays his high school baseball at rival Little Rock Central, re-joined his home boys in Bryant for the American Legion season this summer and got the starting nod in the Blacksox’ opener against Hot Springs Lakeside on Tuesday, May 18.
And he came through with four innings of one-hit pitching, combining with James Leigh on a shutout in the Sox’ 9-0 win in five innings.
Lambert, who started against the Bryant Hornets and longtime teammate and friend Justin Wells in the semifinals of the Class AAAAA State High School Tournament, walked two and struck out three in his first Blacksox stint. The only hit Lakeside managed was a one-out single by Zack Wuechet in the third. The Sox followed that up with a doubleplay, started by second sacker Andrew Moseley, to get out of the inning.
Leigh relieved in the fifth and walked the first batter he faced before overwhelming the next three, fanning two.
Aided by four Lakeside errors, the Blacksox only needed six hits to score their nine runs but four of those hits were for extra bases: doubles by Richie Wood, Jeff Carpenter and Dustin Easterly and a triple by Richie Wood.
A five-run home first eased the tension of the season-opener. Todd Bryan got things started with one down, beating out an infield hit. Wells singled him to third and a wild pitch by Lakeside starter Josh Wesson brought in the first run. With two down, Travis Wood walked to set things up for Richie Wood, who cracked a liner to the fence in left-center for a bases-clearing triple.
He scored when Carpenter’s bouncer to second drew a bad throw to first. Andrew Moseley capped the inning with an RBI double.
Wesson retired the next six Blacksox in succession but, in the fourth, Richie Wood ripped a double. With one out, another throwing error cost Lakeside a run and allowed Moseley to reach second. He had to hold up there, however, on Easterly’s double which left fielder Richie McVey could not quite reach. After Dustin Tinkler was hit by a pitch, another wild pitch from Wesson allowed a run to score.
Bryan grounded to third baseman Calan McInvale who threw to the plate but catcher Kendal Norman couldn’t hold the throw as Easterly scored with Tinkler, hustling after him, to make it 9-0.
