Drost makes one-run lead stand up
- Barbe Baseball
<p class="p1">MOSS BLUFF — Barbe used big contributions from a pair of little guys and another dominant performance from pitcher Brody Drost to edge Sam Houston 2-1 Thurday in a District 3-5A baseball game.
<p class="p3">The win kept the Bucs (21-4, 5-1) a game behind district leader Sulphur. Sam Houston (23-2, 4-1) is two games back heading into a key game at Sulphur Saturday.
{{tncms-inline content="&lt;p class=&quot;p1&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;District 3-5A |&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Barbe&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sam Houston&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;" id="7093b416-b83d-47ca-987c-7760b5958162" style-type="quote" title="Pull Quote" type="relcontent"}}
<p class="p3">Barbe starting second baseman Antonio Gauthier led off the game with a solo home run, and defensive substitute Kyle DeBarge ended the game by turning a double play with the go-ahead run on base.
<p class="p3">The Bucs scored both runs in the first inning, on Gauthier’s blast to right and a sacrifice fly by Bryan Lawrence to score Davis Meche.
<p class="p3"><span class="s2">Drost made the runs hold up, allowing one hit and three walks over six innings. He was relieved by Meche after walking Broncos leadoff batter Barron Simon in the top of the seventh. As part of the substitution, Gauthier replaced Meche at third base and DeBarge entered the game at second.</span>
- Barbe vs Sam Houston
<p class="p3">A Kyle Bartley sacrifice bunt moved Simon to second base. Hunter Gotreaux walked to give the Broncos runners on first and second with one out.
<p class="p3">DeBarge then charged a bouncer to second, snagging the ball, tagging the runner en route to second and throwing to first to complete the game-ending double play.
<p class="p3">Bucs head coach Glenn Cecchini said the freshman earned his trust early in the season while filling in for an injured Lawrence.
<p class="p3">“He is really good, a heady guy, a freshman that plays like a senior,” Cecchini said. “He knows what he is doing. I have complete confidence in him.”
<p class="p3">Cecchini said Gauthier sets the tone for the Bucs with his work ethic.
<p class="p3">“He is unreal,” Cecchini said. “There is not a harder worker in the state.
<p class="p3">“The other night after the game we won, it was 10 p.m. and he is working out. He and Lawrence make us go.”
<p class="p3">Drost, who threw a no-hitter in a loss to Sulphur last week, struck out six. He ran into trouble in the fourth, when Silas Ardoin led off with a single and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Simon walked to put runners at the corners with no outs, but Drost escaped with one run allowed when Gauthier and Lawrence turned a double play for the first two outs. Courtesy runner Judson Derouen scored on the play, but Drost got a strikeout to end the inning with the lead intact.
<p class="p3">“I was just thinking about keeping the ball low and hopefully getting a double play,” Drost said.
<p class="p3">Cecchini said the sophomore shines on the big stage.
<p class="p3">“He showed a lot of grit and kept us in the game tonight,” Cecchini said. “He is young. He is going to graduate at 17. He has pitched against West Monroe, Sulphur, Sam Houston, Catholic-Baton Rouge, St. Louis … so many tough games. Tonight he didn’t get his breaking stuff over like he usually does, but he stayed tough.”
<p class="p3">Bartley was just as good for the Broncos, allowing three hits over the final six innings and striking out five. No Buc advanced beyond first base after the first inning.
<p class="p3">Ben David had two hits for Barbe.
<p class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><strong>District 3-5A | </strong></span><span class="s1"><strong>Barbe </strong></span><span class="s1"><strong>2, </strong></span><span class="s1"><strong>Sam Houston </strong></span><span class="s1"><strong>1</strong></span>
