McNeese State swept a Southland Conference doubleheader from Nicholls State Friday, keeping the Colonels scoreless in both games, winning 6-0 and 8-0 in six innings to extend their win streak to five.

The Cowgirls (31-12, 13-1) ran their conference winning streak to 16 games as they won their fifth straight SLC series win. They go for the series sweep at 1 p.m. today.

In the nightcap, Crislyne Moreno hit a first-inning double to score Reese Reyna and Rylie Bouvier.

Erin Ardoin hit a two-out single in the second to score Otto. Bouvier singled to score Seneca in the third inning. Brooke Otto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Bouvier, increasing the lead to 5-0.

Corine Poncho hit a two-out pinch hit single in the fifth inning to score Bouvier.

Reyna hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to invoke the mercy rule.

Whitney Tate (13-3) allowed four hits and no walks. She forced 12 ground ball outs in the game.

“Tate does a good job of attacking the bottom of the strike zone,” McNeese head coach James Landreneau said. “She can work both sides of the plate and she was changing speed on every pitch. Kelsey (Gaspard) did a good job of catching the low balls and keeping them in the strike zone.”

Ashley Vallejo threw a three-hit shutout in the opener to extend her Southland Conference winning streak to 15 games.

The Cowgirls took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Alayis Seneca singled and scored on a fielder’s choice after Bouvier was caught stealing.

Moreno hit a solo homer and Ardoin added a two-run blast in the second inning as the Cowgirls stretched the lead to 4-0.

Moreno led off the fourth inning with a double and scored on a Otto double down the left-field line. Otto scored on a Emily Phillips single to make it 6-0.

The Colonels (22-19, 9-8) had four baserunners in the game with one reaching second base. Vallejo (11-7) struck out five and walked one. She has not lost a conference game over the last two seasons. In six conference starts Vallejo has won each game and allowed four runs, three earned, in 35 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts and six walks allowed.

Moreno had two hits while Otto was 3-for-3 to lead the Cowgirls. Ardoin’s home run was her first of the season.