Lambert back in groove as Sox top Lake Hamilton
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By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
After not taking the mound in game action for over a month, Cory Lambert shackled the Lake Hamilton AA American Legion team on just three hits over five innings as the Bryant Blacksox AAA team secured a 6-1 win on Thursday, May 26.
After giving up a leadoff single to left to Lake Hamilton’s Sammy Barthall, Lambert retired 12 in a row, not counting Barthall who was erased in a doubleplay. He struck out eight including five in a row at one point. An infield hit on a cued roller toward third by Dennis Fuller in the fifth broke Lambert’s string. A bunt single by Nathan Ball followed and an errant throw allowed the lone run to score.
That run cut Bryant’s lead to 5-1.
The Sox had taken a 2-0 lead in the third without a hit. Devin Hurt walked and reached second safely when Danny Riemenschneider’s grounder to second drew a botched throw for an attempted force. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Justin Wells hit a grounder. Hurt broke for home and beat the throw there to make it 1-0. Moments later, Riemenschneider scored on a groundout by Richie Wood.
In the fourth, Lambert, who also had two hits, beat one out on the infield. An out later, Casey Grisham unloaded for his second home run in as many games this season to make it 4-0.
The inning continued with a double to right-center by Josh Groves and an RBI two-bagger into the corner in left by Hurt.
After Lake Hamilton scored in the top of the fifth, Lambert closed out his stint with his seventh and eighth strikeouts to leave a runners stranded at second. Aaron Davidson took over in the sixth and worked out of trouble in both the sixth and the seventh.
In the sixth, Barthall singled with one out but was thrown out trying to advance to third on a single by Matt Hull by Riemenschneider who charged the ball in left and fired to Zack Young at third. Davidson got the next batter to pop out.
In the home sixth, Hurt was hit by a pitch, balked to second, took third on a grounder by Riemenschneider and scored on a two-out lined single to right-center by Wells.
Davidson issued a pair of walks around a strikeout in the top of the seventh but a nice play by Wells at short got the second out then Davidson struck out Jessie Gibson to end the game.
At 2-0, the Sox were scheduled to play again on Friday, May 27, at North Little Rock but the game was rained out.
