MOSS BLUFF — Barbe returned the favor Thursday night in a District 3-5A showdown with Sam Houston.

The Bucs handed the Broncos their first loss of the season, 3-1, after Sam Houston did it to them in each of the last two seasons.

Landon Victorian was stellar on the mound and the Bucs got enough offense in the late innings.

“They have a really good program, so we knew it was going to be a battle,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said of the Broncos. “I am proud of our guys.”

Victorian gave up a solo home run to Sam Houston’s Sam Ardoin in the bottom of the third inning but didn’t waver. He finished with 14 strikeouts while holding the Broncos to four hits in a complete game. Victorian has 46 strikeouts and no walks in four starts.

“Victorian didn’t flinch,” Cecchini said. “He gives up a home run, and Ardoin hits two bullets, but he didn’t walk anybody.

“That is what good teams do. They didn’t walk very many either. I thought Victorian was outstanding — 14 strikeouts and no walks. That is impressive. He hasn’t walked anybody all year.”

In the top of the sixth inning, Barbe’s (19-0, 3-0) Ashton Quiller drew a one-out walk, and Presley Courville reached on an error. J.C. Vanek followed with an RBI single to tie the score. Courville scored the go-ahead run on a Donovan LaSalle sacrifice fly. Freshman J.D. Alexander added an insurance run with a leadoff solo home run in the seventh inning.

Sam Houston (14-1, 4-1) head coach Chad Hebert said his team can’t dwell on the loss with a second game against the Bucs scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at McMurry Park in Sulphur.

“That is baseball,” Hebert said. “It is no different than the big leagues.

You get beat by a good pitcher, and you have to turn around and do it tomorrow. There is no time to dwell on it.

“I just think we need to keep doing what we are doing. Victorian was obviously pretty dominant tonight. He beat us. You get a good arm, and that is what happens in baseball. That is why they went to the two of three series in Louisiana so that one dominant arm can’t win the playoffs. He did his job tonight. He was really good.”

Cole Flanagan went six innings for the Broncos with three strikeouts and two walks and didn’t allow a runner beyond second base until the sixth inning. Sam Houston catcher Connor Walker threw out a runner at second in the third and fourth innings.