Bounce-back victory: Bucs’ Trahan dominates

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, March 22, 2023

SULPHUR — Another dominant pitching performance got Barbe back into the win column in a 3-0 District 3-5A win over Southside on Tuesday.

The game was played at McMurry Park due to ongoing renovations at Barbe. The Bucs started the season with 19 consecutive wins before losing to Sam Houston on Saturday.

Barbe (20-1, 4-1) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Holden LeBlanc led off with a double to left and scored on a single by Kasen Bellard.

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Bellard hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth to double the Bucs’ lead.

Barbe added another insurance run in the sixth. J.C. Vanek walked and scored on an infield single by J.D. Alexander to make the score 3-0.

The Sharks loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh and scored twice on walks. Barbe reliever Landon Ledoux earned the save with a bases-loaded grounder to end the game.

Bucs starter Grant Trahan retired the first nine Sharks he faced, striking out five. He pitched five innings, striking out six and allowing two baserunners — a fielding error and a fifth-inning leadoff single by Hunter Azemar.

“Trahan was great and our starting pitching has been dominant,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “At the end we walked people and hit batters, we can’t do that. It’s hard to string four hits together.”

Southside (14-5, 3-2) starter Hunter Hodges scattered eight hits over 51/3 innings, allowing three runs. He escaped trouble early, leaving five runners on base over the first two innings.

Bellard and Donovan LaSalle each had two hits for Barbe. Azemar had both of Southside’s hits.

Cecchini said the Bucs almost paid for the missed opportunities early in the game.

“We had a runner on third with less than two outs, we had the bases loaded and we popped up four times. If we just hit fly balls it’s 5-0 at the end and we have more cushion.

“Bellard was great with the hit up the middle and the home run. Every guy in our lineup has a home run, so we can win games 1-0 or 2-1. We’ve been finding ways to win games.”