Walker throws no-hitter, Bucs blank Yellow Jackets
Warren Arceneaux
Jack Walker threw a no-hitter in leading top seed Barbe to a 3-0 win over No. 32 Denham Springs in a Class 5A bidistrict round playoff game Monday.
The Bucs (33-2) advance to face The winner of today’s No. 16 Alexandria-No. 17 Pineville bidistrict round game in the regional round. That matchup will be a best-of-three series at Barbe beginning Friday.
The Bucs have never lost a game in a best-of-three series since the format was introduced in 2014.
Walker struck out seven and walked three. Two Denham Springs (12-20) runners reached on errors.
The Jackets threatened to score in the fifth, getting two on with one out on a walk and error, but Walker escaped the jam with a strikeout and grounder.
He retired 8 of the last 9 Jacket hitters, with the lone batter to reach base erased on a double play.
“I like close games like this, it makes me be competitive,” Walker said. “My fastball was working really well today.
“I knew in the sixth inning it was a no-hitter, but I tried not to think about it. In the last inning I wasnt worried about it, I just wanted to get the win.”
Barbe opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Grant Comeaux singled to right and scored on a double to left by Kameron Edwards.
The Bucs had a chance to extend the lead in the third inning, loading the bases on a Gavin Guidry double and walks by Kyle DeBarge and JC Vanek, but Yellow Jackets starter Caleb Holstein escaped the jam with a liner and grounder for the final two outs.
The Jackets threw out two Barbe runners at the plate in the first four innings to stay close, with right fielder Ethan Hand and left fielder Eli Digirolamo each getting an assist.
The Bucs got on the board again the sixth inning. Tyler Barrett doubled to left field to lead off the inning, advanced to third base on a Holden LeBlanc sacrifice bunt and scored on an error. Crawford Courville reached second on the error, moved to third on a Donovan LaSalle sacrifice fly and scored on a balk call on a steal of home plate.
Senior Jack Walker pitched a no-hitter Monday to lead No . 1 Barbe to a 3-0 win over No . 32 Denham Springs in the bidistrict round of the Class 5A playoffs.