Blowout, Bucs’ talent shows through
Published 7:00 am Friday, May 5, 2023
- Kasen Bellard scores a run to put the Bucs up 3-0 against Neville during the first of a three-game series in the nonselect Division I quarterfinals Thursday at Barbe High School. (Kirk Meche / Special to the American Press)
A long ball from Donovan LaSalle and quartet of Neville errors gave the second-seeded Bucs an 11-1, five-inning win over the No. 7 Tigers in the first game of a nonselect Division I quarterfinals series.
The best-of-three series continues with Game 2 at 6 p.m. today at Barbe. A Bucs (36-1) win sends them to Sulphur for next week’s state championship tournament. A Tigers (26-11) win would result in a decisive Game 3 at noon Saturday.
LaSalle launched a three-run homer to left in the third inning to put the Bucs ahead 6-0. Barbe scored seven runs in the inning. Owen Galt had an RBI single, Ashton Quiller added an RBI double and two runs scored on a Tigers throwing error as the Bucs blew the game open.
“We had a good scouting report,” Bucs head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “Their guy throws 90 (mph) so we worked on the hard stuff all week.
“I’m proud of our hitters. We had a few guys that were struggling. They were staying out here until 8 or 9 at night working with Garin (Cecchini, a Barbe assistant coach). We got production from 1-9 and put a lot of pressure on them.”
The bottom four hitters in the Barbe lineup — Grant Trahan, Kasen Bellard, Galt and Quiller— each reached base at least twice and combined to score seven runs.
Neville committed four throwing errors and had a pair of wild pitches. The Tigers had six hits but left eight runners on base. Sutton Lewis doubled twice and drove in Neville’s lone run. Hunt Grant also had two hits for Neville.
Relievers Landon Ledoux and J.D. Alexander each escaped a jam for Barbe. Ledoux struck out two to leave the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Alexander got a strikeout and double play in the fifth after the Tigers again loaded the bases.
“Ledoux had a good strikeout and Alexander has great stuff,” Cecchini said. “He’s a freshman that can get up to 90 and has a nasty slider. (LSU commitment Landon Victorian) is starting tomorrow; we are excited about that and have three good arms ready to go.”
Neville advanced last week after losing the first game of its regional series against Haughton.
