Ethan Valdez
Misty Leigh McElroy
4
Winner Sam Houston SHSU 10-12
2
Nicholls NICH 10-12
Winner
Sam Houston SHSU
10-12
4
Final
2
Nicholls NICH
10-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Sam Houston SHSU 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 10 1
Nicholls NICH 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 8 3

W: Odom, Sam (2-0) L: Sinibaldi, Justin (2-3) S: Belton, Greg (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Sam Houston Downs Nicholls, 4-2

THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball fell behind early and never recovered as Sam Houston earned a 4-2 series-opening victory at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
The Colonels (10-12, 2-5 SLC) loaded the bases with no outs in the final inning, but Nicholls was only able to generate one run as the Bearkats (10-12, 4-3 SLC) escaped with the win.
 
Justin Sinibaldi had a solid outing for the Colonels, but early miscues plagued the squad and set the tone for the remainder of the contest. Nicholls committed two errors in the first inning, including one on the first play of the ballgame that allowed Sam Houston to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bearkats increased their advantage in the fourth, converting three singles and a pair of groundouts into two additional runs.
 
Sam Houston added a security run in the sixth inning before the Colonels were able to get on the board.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Ethan Valdez led off with a double to right center and came home on a Kyle Knauth double that one-hopped the centerfield wall.
 
Nicholls loaded the bases in the ninth with a pair of singles and a walk, forcing a pitching change. Immediately following the substitution, Alex Tucker notched an RBI single to left field that brought Alex Shermer home, but the Bearkats shut the door with three consecutive outs to close the game.
 
Joey Morales went 2-for-4 and Valdez finished 2-for-5 with a run to lead the Colonels offensively. Knauth and Tucker each hit 1-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Zach Smith paced Sam Houston, batting 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
Sinibaldi (2-3) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
 
Sam Odom (2-0) picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits through 5 1/3 innings on the mound. Greg Belton earned his first save of the season, allowing one hit while fanning one batter in the final inning.
 
Probable Pitching Rotation:
 
Nicholls:
RHP Daniel Goff         (0-0, 2.45 ERA, 11 SO, 22.0 IP)
RHP Cole Stapler       (2-2, 3.06 ERA, 23 SO, 32.1 IP)
 
Sam Houston:
RHP Heath Donica     (2-2, 3.58 ERA, 24 SO, 32.2 IP)
RHP Riley Gossett     (2-0, 1.88 ERA, 21 SO, 28.2 IP)
 
Following Saturday's contest, the Colonels will battle an even more important opponent as they join the fight against childhood cancer. The team will shave their heads in support of the Vs. Cancer Foundation, which is dedicated to saving kids' lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts.
 
You can join the fight too! Visit the Nicholls Baseball Vs. Cancer page at team.vs-cancer.org/nichollsbaseball to make a donation. To learn more visit VS-CANCER.ORG or follow the organization on twitter @VS_CANCER.
 
The Colonels will host Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29 live on Cox Sports Television. Nicholls will then travel to Biloxi, Miss. for a neutral site matchup against South Alabama at 7 p.m. on March 30.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball, visit geauxcolonels.com.