THIBODAUX, La. – Senior Justin Sinibaldi was practically untouchable on Friday night and his Colonel teammates provided 12 hits of backup as the Nicholls State University baseball team earned a decisive 3-0 shutout victory over in-state rival McNeese at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
The Colonels (18-24, 8-11 SLC) got on the board with a third-inning score and added a pair of security runs in the eighth, while holding the Cowboys (23-16, 13-9 SLC) to just three hits on 28 at bats.
 
After a 2 ½ scoreless innings, Nicholls broke the stalemate when Alex Shermer came home on a Joey Morales groundout.
 
A Gavin Wehby single to right field in the eighth allowed Morales to score, before Kyle Reese singled up the middle, sending Wehby in.
 
Sinibaldi (5-4) captured the win, tossing his second complete game of the season. He recorded eight strikeouts, while holding McNeese to a .107 team average. Sinibaldi did not allow a multi-hit game by any Cowboy player and all three McNeese hits were singles.
 
Kaleb Fontenot (5-4) took the loss, surrendering three runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts through 7 ½ innings on the mound.
 
Wehby led the Colonels offensively with a 3-for-4 performance, a run and an RBI. Morales finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Ethan Valdez and Alex Tucker each turned in multi-hit outings for Nicholls.
 
The Colonels and Cowboys will close out their series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The teams were originally set for a 6 p.m. start on Saturday and 1 p.m. start on Sunday, but inclement weather in the forecast forced a schedule change.
 
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
 
Nicholls
Saturday: Cole Stapler (3-5, 3.60 ERA, 35 SO, 65.0 IP)
Sunday: Alex Ernestine (2-3, 8.13 ERA, 14 SO, 27.2 IP)
 
McNeese
Saturday: Bryan King (4-2, 3.22 ERA, 46 SO, 50.1 IP)
Sunday: Ethan Stremmel (3-1, 4.85 ERA, 31 SO, 42.2 IP)
 
Following this weekend's action, Nicholls will head to Texas for a three-game league series at Houston Baptist, beginning May 6. The Colonels then host Alcorn State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball, visit geauxcolonels.com.