THIBODAUX, La. - The defending champion Nicholls State University baseball team got off to a rocky start in league play as New Orleans earned a sweep with an 8-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Didier Field. 

The loss was the seventh straight for the Colonels (17-10, 0-3 SLC) and second straight series setback against New Orleans (13-10, 3-0 SLC). The sweep was the first at home for Nicholls since 2016. 

Nicholls was limited to six hits in the loss while UNO pounded out 15. Six different Colonels accounted for a hit, including Edgar Alvarez who extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a two-run single in the third. The Privateers led 1-0 before Alvarez gave the Colonels the lead, then Garrett Felix and Aaron Biediger also drove in a run in the frame.

UNO tied the game in the fourth with three runs, highlighted by a two-run double by Issac Williams, but Jaden Collura answered in the bottom half by sending a solo home run over the right field wall for a 5-4 advantage. However, the lead was short lived as the Privateers pieced together another three-run frame in the fifth.

The Privateer pitching staff faced the minimum in the final four innings, helped by double plays in the seventh and eighth innings.

Arturo Rodriguez suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs in one inning of relief. Michael Quevedo made the start, surrendering four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Parker Coddou singled to extend his on-base streak to 25 games, while Biediger, Drake Anderson and Brayden Kuriger added base hits.  

Mitchell Sanford led UNO with three hits and two RBIs. Caleb Seroski earned the win with 3.0 innings out of the bullpen while Nathan Blasick struck out three in a two-inning save. 

ON DECK
Nicholls hits the road next weekend for a three-game series at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The series begins a huge road stretch with 18 of the next 22 games being away from Thibodaux. Thursday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.