THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team celebrated Senior Day and Mother's Day by completing a three-game sweep of New Orleans with a 6-0 shutout in the finale at Ray E. Didier Field, earning their eighth consecutive win.
 
A Runaway candidate for Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, Justin Sinibaldi (10-1) was dominant again from the mound, tossing seven innings and allowing seven hits with four strikeouts. Kyle Reese improved his league-leading batting average to .378 on Sunday with a double and a triple, extending his current hitting streak to 15 games.
 
The Colonels (32-16-1, 17-10 SLC) wasted no time before exploding for four quick runs in the firth inning. Justin Holt led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third when the catcher's throw sailed into center field. A Darius Knight single up the middle sent Holt home. Knight stole second, before Tanner Vandevere was hit by a pitch. Knight and Vandevere successfully executed a double steal, advancing to third and second, before Justin Smith crushed a double down the right field line, scoring the pair. Smith advanced to third on a ground out and came home on a Christian Correa single to left.
 
Nicholls threatened to increase their lead in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs, but the Privateers (14-35, 3-24 SLC) earned a force out at home before turning a double play to escape the inning unscathed.
 
The Colonels picked up a run in the fifth inning when Reese blasted a triple that rolled deep into the right field corner and a Vandevere ground out sent him home.
 
Nicholls added a run in the sixth to grab a 6-0 advantage. David Zorn reached on a fielder's choice and advanced after Joey Morales walked. The Colonels implemented their second successful double steal of the game, before a Holt sacrifice fly scored Zorn.
 
In relief of Sinibaldi, Robbie Petty tossed a one-hit eighth inning for Nicholls. Marc Frazier closed out the contest, allowing one hit while fanning two batters in the final frame.
 
Jordan Priddle (4-5) took the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits through 5 2/3 innings of work.
 
Smith led Nicholls offensively with a 2-for-4 day, two RBIs and a run scored. Correa went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Knight hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
 
Ryan Calloway paced New Orleans offensively, going 4-for-5 in the loss.
 
The Colonels' senior class was recognized prior the game and all eight mothers of senior players tossed out an honorary first pitch.
 
Nicholls will host Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 p.m. on Tuesday before concluding the regular season with a three-game conference series on the road against Northwestern State over the weekend. All four matchups will be broadcast live on KTIB 640 AM.
 
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