Colonel baseball team looks to continue momentum after recent series sweep

When the baseball team’s losing streak reached seven games after being swept by the University of New Orleans, Nicholls coach Mike Silva said his team needed something good to happen and that the Colonels were just as capable of winning seven in a row.

The good happened with the Colonels’ three-game sweep at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi that allowed Nicholls to even its Southland Conference record at 3-3 as the team improved its overall record to 20-10 overall.

The quest to continue the winning streak, however, will be no easy one.

Up next for Nicholls is a non-conference road matchup at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Following the ULL game, the Colonels face a three-game Southland series at rival Southeastern Louisiana on Friday through Sunday. A game scheduled against Mississippi Valley, originally slated for 6 p.m. Wednesday in Thibodaux, has been cancelled.

In the sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Colonels produced a combined 31 runs while pounding out 41 hits.

Duplicating the type of numbers the Colonels amassed against the Islanders could prove difficult against UL-Lafayette. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 20-8 on the season and coming off a three-game sweep of Texas State.

ULL won the final two games of its series against Texas State by scores of 16-5 and 7-6, but prior to those two contests, the Cajuns allowed no more than one run in five of their six previous outings.

Like Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana also is 3-3 in Southland play going into the three-game series in Hammond. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Sunday’s game slated to begin at 1 p.m.

In the Lions’ most recent conference series, the Lions dropped two of three games at home against Houston Christian. SLU won the opener 11-1 but lost the final two by scores of 9-2 and 7-0.

Shea Thomas leads the Lions in hitting with a batting average of .363 with five home runs and 24 runs batted in. T.J. Salvaggio is batting .348 with five home runs and 22 RBI.

In the opening game of the series between the Lions and HCU, Brenan Stuprich got the start for Southeastern, allowing one unearned run on two hits and three walks, while striking out three in six innings.

For the season, Stuprich (3-2), sports a 2.04 earned run average, allowing nine runs on 27 hits and 12 walks, while striking out 23.

In the second game of the series, Dakota Lee didn’t get past the first inning. He allowed six runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out one in one inning.

Lee (0-2) has a 7:06 ERA for the year, allowing 23 runs on 36 hits and 18 walks, while striking out 18.

Will Kinzeler got the start for SLU in the final game of the series. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings.

Or the season, Kinzeler (1-2) sports a 7.71 ERA, yielding 20 runs on 29 hits and five walks, while striking out 12 in 23 1/3 innings.

Jackson Rodriguez (2-1) leads the team in saves with four.