Another Bucs blowout, Victorian, Vanek combine on no-hitter

Published 6:17 am Saturday, May 6, 2023

Landon Victorian and J.C. Vanek combined on a no-hitter as Barbe beat Neville 13-0 Friday to sweep a nonselect Division I quarterfinals series.

The Bucs (37-1) will play Sulphur at 5 p.m. Thursday in a single-elimination semifinal. The Tors beat Central-Baton Rouge 3-2 to sweep their series.

Victorian and Vanek allowed three Tigers (26-12) to reach base, all in the first two innings. Vanek retired all 16 batters he faced.

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In his first start since missing five games due to injury, Victorian struck out three and walked two in 2 2/3 innings.

“I thought he was great,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said of Victorian. “He is the ultimate competitor and I love him. Vanek came in and dominated. Our coaching staff scouted them in their series last week and did an amazing job. We knew everything about them.”

Barbe scored five runs in the top of the first inning. J.D. Alexander, Owen Galt, Presley Courville and Ashton Quiller each drove in a run and Vanek scored on a wild pitch.

The Bucs added four runs in the sixth inning. Vanek singled to score Diego Corrales. Donovan LaSalle scored on a balk. Grant Trahan hit a sacrifice fly to score Vanek and Courville singled to score Alexander.

A two-run double by Trahan highlighted a four-run seventh inning.

LaSalle reached base on all five plate appearances. Vanek reached four times and Corrales, Alexander and Kasen Bellard had two hits each. Trahan drove in three.

The win extended Barbe’s winning streak to 19 games. The Bucs will be playing in the state tournament for the seventh time in 10 years.

Cecchini said losing in the quarterfinals last year motivated this year’s team.

“You can’t take it for granted,” he said. “Last year we were 36-2, then lost two. The kids remembered that hurt. Now they’ve done something no other team has. We’ve never had only one loss this late in the season. I love this team. They are a special group and I am blessed to be able to coach them.”