NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — Nuno Parache delivered a dominant performance on the mound, and Nicholls State’s bullpen completed a combined three-hit shutout as the Colonels blanked Stephen F. Austin 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at Jaycees Field to complete a three-game series sweep.

The victory, played under a mix of afternoon and evening skies, pushed Nicholls State to a 20-19 overall record, while Stephen F. Austin fell to 21-19.

The most important part of the game was the masterful outing from Parache, who rebounded emphatically from a rough start the previous Sunday. The Nicholls State starter was untouchable over six innings, allowing no hits and no runs while walking one and striking out five. He faced just one batter over the minimum, with the only baserunner, Cermodrick Bland, being erased on a double play after a walk in the fourth inning. This was a stark contrast to his previous outing on April 12 against Lamar, where he allowed six earned runs on nine hits in just 4.1 innings.

Parache’s brilliance set the tone and provided all the support the Colonels’ pitching staff would need. The offense, which had exploded for 33 runs in the first two games of the series, was held in check for four innings by Stephen F. Austin starter Dylan Mulcahy, who struck out nine but ultimately took the loss.

The Colonels broke through in the fifth. Greyson Shafer led off with a single, and Jaxon Milam followed with a two-run homer to deep center field, giving Nicholls State a 2-0 lead. They added two more in the sixth. Caston Thompson walked, advanced on a groundout, and scored on Shafer’s RBI double down the right field line. After a pitching change, Logan Terry drove in Shafer with a single up the middle to make it 4-0.

Shafer capped the scoring with a solo home run to deep center in the eighth inning, his third hit of the day. He finished 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Milam also had two hits, including his two-run homer.

After Parache’s exit, the Colonels’ bullpen was flawless. Cole Simoneaux worked the seventh, working around two singles and a hit batter by striking out two. Karson Trichel struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Dalton Hill struck out two in a perfect ninth to seal the win. The trio combined for three hitless innings with six strikeouts.

Stephen F. Austin’s offense was stifled all day, managing only three singles. Their best threat came in the seventh when a single and a walk put two on with no outs, but Simoneaux and a passed ball that moved both runners into scoring position could not bring them home. The frustration boiled over in that inning, as Lumberjacks head coach was ejected following the strikeout of Juan Cantua.

The sweep marked a decisive turnaround for Nicholls State in the series after both teams entered with identical 19-19 records. The Colonels outscored the Lumberjacks 38-7 over the three games. The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 7-5 Stephen F. Austin victory, though their ELO rating system had given Nicholls State a 67.4% probability to win.

Nicholls State next travels to face Jackson State on Tuesday. Stephen F. Austin will host Texas-Arlington on Tuesday.