Warren Arceneaux

Barbe won the big one.

The Bucs (29-2) beat District 3-5A rival Sam Houston 6-3 Saturday in a Class 5A quarterfinal to earn a return trip to the state championship tournament this week at Frasch Park in Sulphur.

The Bucs finished as state runner-up at the most recent state tournament, played in 2019. The teams split a pair of regular-season games, with each team winning at home. Barbe kept that trend alive, protecting its home turf to earn a return trip to Sulphur.

The Bucs will face No. 7 Pineville in the semifinal round at 3 p.m. Friday on Field 18. The Rebels advanced with an 8-1 win over No. 2 St. Amant. Barbe beat the Rebels 7-6 in a March 20 game.

Halie Pappion held the Broncos scoreless over the first five innings while leadoff hitter Kiley DeHart sparked the offense, getting three hits and scoring three runs. Pappion added a two-run home run to center field to give the Bucs a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning.

The Broncos (26-6) made a late surge, scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Erin Ardoin reached on an error with two outs and scored on a double to the center-field wall by Lexi Dibbley. Brylie Fontenot then blasted an opposite-field, two-run homer to right field to get the Broncos back in the game.

Barbe added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning with DeHart reaching on an infield single and scoring on a Brenna Moncrief sacrifice fly.

DeHart singled to lead off the game and scored on an Alana Mark single.

The Bucs scored in each of the first four innings.

“We were prepared and ready to go, locked in,” Barbe head coach Candyce Carter said. “The players trusted us, we trusted them and they made it work.”

Pappion was dominant with five strikeouts in the first two innings. She had retired 12 batters in a row until the Broncos rally in the sixth inning.

“She kept her pitch count low, pounded the strike zone, did what she does best,” Carter said.

Mica Beaudoin and Mark each had two hits for the Bucs.

“After going in 2019, then what happened last year (having most of the season and all of the playoffs canceled due to COVID-19), being able to take this group back … we have a lot of unfinished business,” Carter said. “They are resilient. They keep fighting, there is not quit in them.”

Barbe has won 26 of its last 27 games with the lone loss coming to Sam Houston on April 6 in Moss Bluff.

The Bucs’ Halie Pappion slaps hands with a pair of Sam Houston infielders as she rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during a Class 5A quarterfinal playoff game Saturday at Barbe High School.

Rick Hickman