Zakary Souza home run, Brayden Bustin triple, and Tommy Lambert pitching the keys

Greg Sullivan Herald News Staff Reporter

Updated with more photos, video

FALL RIVER – Durfee wants a piece of that Big 3 Conference pie. And the Hilltoppers are keeping the pastry store open.

Tommy Lambert struck out 10 in a complete-game win, Zakary Souza launched a two-run home run in the first inning, and Brayden Bustin put Durfee ahead for good with an RBI triple in the fourth inning as the Hilltoppers downed New Bedford 4-3 in their Big 3 Conference baseball game on Thursday at cool and windy Skip Lewis Field.

Brayden Bustin's game-winning RBI triple. Durfee defeats New Bedford 4-3. Durfee 6-4, 1-2 Big 3 Conference. NB 3-9, 2-2 Big 3. @DurfeeAthletics @durfee_baseball pic.twitter.com/29UlKRxAja

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) May 11, 2018

Ismael Moreno (2-for-3) followed Bustin’s triple with an RBI single, providing a 4-2 lead and crucial insurance.

New Bedford rallied for a run in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on first base before Lambert, a hard-throwing righthander, ended the game with punchout No. 10.

Durfee (6-4, 1-2 league) can create a three-way tie for the Big 3 title by defeating Brockton (2-1 league) in a makeup game, on Sunday, May 20, at Durfee.

“You hope this is the start of us putting everything together,” Durfee coach Dave Ulmschneider said. “It gives us a chance at the Big 3 title. We stepped up with our best performance of the year.”

Durfee’s Remy Dumont continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with two doubles to raise his batting average to .516 and slugging average to .806.

Lambert and complete-game losing pitcher Nick Medeiros both allowed eight hits. Medeiros issued no walks, Lambert two. With Durfee up 2-0, Lambert escaped a bases-loaded-one-out jam in the third inning with two strikeouts against the Whalers’ No. 2 and 3 batters.

Five of New Bedford’s hits came in the Whalers’ two-run fourth, and three of New Bedford’s hits were infield singles, two of those on balls tipped by Lambert.

“He did what he needed to do,” Ulmschneider said. “He put the team on his back.”

Souza gave Durfee the quick 2-0 lead in the first inning when he crushed a 2-2 curve ball over the 384-foot sign in dead center. Souza’s second homer of the year scored Brett Fonseca, who had just doubled. Souza nearly had a second two-run homer, in the fifth, but NB left fielder Dean Silveira calmy reached high, at the temporary snow fence, to snag the fly ball before tumbling halfway over the fence.

RBI singles by Franyk Jamie (line drive to right) and C.J. Dunston (infield hit) evened the count 2-2 in the top of the fourth. The Whalers stranded three runners in both the third and fourth innings.

In the home half of the fourth, a hustling Dumont lifted a one-out, wind-blown double to shallow left center. Bustin followed with his triple, an off-field liner down the right-field line. Moreno followed with his sharp, off-field RBI single to right.

Both teams committed one error. New Bedford had beaten Durfee 4-3 earlier this season in New Bedford.

Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.