THIBODAUX, LA ? For the third game in a row, a Sam Houston State pitcher hurled a complete game as Brent Powers limited Nicholls State to six hits in nine innings as the Bearkats handed the Colonels a 9-2 defeat Sunday at Didier Field.

The victory extended Sam Houston's winning streak to seven games, gave the Kats a three-game sweep in the Southland Conference series with Nicholls and upped the Bearkats' record to 25-13 for the season and 14-7 in SLC action.

Center fielder Justin Keithley went 3-for-5 with four RBIs as Sam Houston totaled 14 hits. Second baseman Braeden Riley also went 3-for-5 with one run batted in. Nick Zaleski hit a solo home run.

For the series at Nicholls, Sam Houston hit .348 as a team. Riley was 9-for-15 for the weekend. The Bearkats produced eight doubles, a triple and a home run in the three contests.

The Kats broke open a close 2-1 contest with a four-run sixth inning as Keithley drove in two runs with a double to center field and Tyler Lundy and Jon Reed each had run-scoring singles.

Powers (2-0) struck out eight Colonel batters and faced 34 batters in his nine innings of action. Sean Weatherford and Jacob Howard pitched complete games for Sam Houston on Friday and Saturday at Nicholls. The three performances marked the first complete games for SHSU starters this season.

Sam Houston State begins a seven-game home stand Tuesday night when the Bearkats host Baylor in a 6:30 p.m. non-conference game at Don Sanders Stadium.

Line Score

Sam Houston St 9, Nicholls 2 (Apr 19, 2009 at Thibodaux, La.)

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Sam Houston St...... 101 004 300  -  9 14  0      (25-13, 14-7 SLC)

Nicholls............ 010 000 100  -  2  6  2      (17-21, 8-13 SLC)

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Pitchers: Sam Houston St - Powers, Brent. Nicholls - Minto, T.; Larson, R.(6).

Win-Powers, Brent(2-0)  Loss-Minto, T.(2-2)  T-2:13  A-176

HR SHSU - Zaleski, Nick (6).

HR NICH - Moseley, S. (1).