THIBODAUX – Nicholls starting pitcher Justin Sinibaldi tossed a three-hit complete-game shutout against McNeese on Friday night while allowing only four Cowboy batters to reach base as the Colonels won the first game of a three-game Southland Conference series, 3-0.
 
The series will wrap up on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
 
Sinibaldi (5-4) faced just two batters over the minimum in notching his first complete game shutout of the season. He walked just one batter and struck out eight as the Colonels improved to 18-24 overall, 8-11 in league play, and have won four of their last five Southland games.
 
McNeese (23-16, 13-9 SLC) fell for the fourth time in the last five games but let a golden opportunity slip away in the top of the second inning with the game scoreless.
 
With one out, Lewis Guilbeau, Austin Nelson and Matt Gallier connected on back-to-back-to-back singles but on Gallier's knock to centerfield, Guilbeau was thrown out at home trying to score. Will Fox followed with a strikeout to end the threat.
 
McNeese would not get another hit in the game as Sinibaldi retired 21 of the next 24 batters faced to close out the game.
 
The Cowboys managed to get runners on base in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings by way of two errors and a walk, but none of the runners were able to get to second base and in scoring position.
 
The Colonels took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Joey Morales grounder to shortstop that scored Alex Shermer who led off the inning reaching on a walk.
 
That would be all the offense Nicholls would need.
 
McNeese starter Kaleb Fontenot pitched a gem himself through seven innings but found some trouble in the eighth when the Colonels got to him with two 2-out runs to widen the gap at 3-0.
 
Fontenot took the loss and fell to 4-4 on the season after throwing 7 2/3 innings and giving up three runs on 12 hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
 
Gavin Wehby led the Nicholls' offense with a 3-for-4 night with a RBI and run scored. Morales posted a 2-for-4 night at the plate with a RBI and run scored. Ethan Valdez and Alex Tucker also collected two hits apiece.