Lambert notches 600th
Spa Catholic coach reaches milestone with title-winning victory
SARATOGA SPRINGS — When Phonsey Lambert was hired as the head coach of the Saratoga Central Catholic baseball team, the Saints had won two games in two years and had never won a sectional contest. Saturday afternoon, Lambert watched his squad grab the lead in the first inning and continue to build upon on it in capturing a 12-1 victory over Schuylerville in the championship game of the 34th Phil Waring Memorial Tournament.
As the game concluded, the Saints shook hands with the Black Horses and proceeded to douse Lambert with water. Saturday’s title triumph represented career victory No. 600 for Lambert, who began coaching the Saints in 1988. The win marked the 17th time SCC claimed the tournament title. He is 600-213 with five sectional titles.
“I wanted to make this one of the best programs in the state. Year in and year out, we are there and it is so gratifying,” Lambert said. “I have never thrown a pitch, hit a ball or stole a base. It has been all about my players and coaches. I’ve had so many great players over the years and alumni that have reached out to me. It has all been very special.”
“I am honored to play for him,” SCC freshman first baseman Carson Moser said.
“I came and watched the 500th win when I was younger (in 2016),” SCC freshman pitcher Pierce Byrne said, who gave up three hits and struck out six against Schuylerville in a game ending in five innings because of the mercy rule. “It is big to be part of the 600th win.”
With the wins Saturday against Corinth and Schuylerville, the Saints finished regular-season play at 17-3 overall — including an impressive 15-3 record in the Wasaren
League. Those victories also represented the fourth and fifth in a 48-hour span.
Lambert’s latest accomplishment marked the third consecutive day a prominent Section II baseball coach reached a significant career milestone. Thursday, Hoosick Falls coach Mike Lilac. Jr. earned his 400th career victory when the Panthers defeated Waterford 14-4 in Wasaren League play. Maple Hill coach Rico Frese led his Wildcats to a 9-2 Patroon Conference triumph Friday to collect career victory No. 300.
Byrne, who made his sixth start Saturday, completed his fifth game and improved to 4-1. He overcame trouble in the opening inning when he walked two straight batters with one out.
“He has been doing that for us since he was in seventh grade,” Lambert said. “It is rewarding to see that benefit of that now. We kind of kicked it around for a few years only because we were rebuilding with eighth and ninth graders. We coached them up during the summer time and most of these boys have been with me since they were 8 years old at my baseball camp. It is so rewarding to watch them develop and turn into polished varsity baseball players.”
“It was really big for him to get out of the first inning,” Moser said. “We made a few good plays behind him. Once he gets on a roll, you aren’t stopping him.”
Byrne scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning when he doubled and crossed the plate on a two-out RBI single by Ryan Gillis.
The Saints broke open things in the third inning. The key blow came with the bases loaded from junior center fielder Aidan Crowther, who earned the win in the opening game Saturday when SCC beat Corinth 9-2. He tripled down the line in right to clear the bases. Crowther joined teammates Moser and Hunter Fales on the all-tournament team.
“He is without question our most improved player,” Lambert said of Crowther. “If he hit .100 last year, that was a lot. This year, I said to him, ‘Aidan, if you can hit .230 and get on, that would be great.’ He is hitting over .300 and he really put in the work during the summer and winter. I am very proud of him.”
The Saints finished second in the Wasaren League standings behind Mechanicville, a squad SCC lost to twice.
“We let the first Mechanicville game get away from us and kicked it around a little bit in the second game (a 13-1 setback),” Lambert said. “We had a soul-searching moment. We had a little meeting and said let’s go after this thing. Going into the playoffs having won 10 straight, we feel pretty good about ourselves.”
“That was a good wake-up call against a really good team,” Moser said. “I feel like we have come back and we’re better than ever. We’re ready for sectionals.”
During the team’s 10-game winning streak, the Saints have outscored their opponents 105-12 with four shutouts and should land a solid seed for the Section II Class C playoffs Tuesday.
“We have improved a lot and worked on a lot of things,” Byrne said. “I think we are going to be good the next couple of years.”
“We’re a young team, but we are all fundamentally sound and I feel we have a good chance in sectionals this year,” Moser said.