THIBODAUX, La. – Stuart Holmes picked up his 15^th save on Wednesday night to set the school record for saves in a season as the Nicholls State University baseball team downed Alabama A&M, 4-3, at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
Holmes entered the game in the eighth inning, striking out the first batter he faced before fanning two more in the ninth. On the final play of the night, Holmes fielded a grounder and made a soft toss to first base, sealing the victory.
 
After a scoreless first inning the Colonels (29-16-1) broke the stalemate with a run in the second. Justin Smith reached on an error and came in on a Joey Morales single up the middle.
 
Nicholls added a pair of runs in the third to grab a 3-0 lead over the Bulldogs (26-27). Darius Knight walked before taking third on a Kyle Reese single to right field. Reese advanced to second on the play. Tanner Vandevere subsequently launched a line drive that bounced off of the Bulldogs' third baseman and allowed Knight and Reese to come home.
 
Alabama A&M wouldn't go down quietly, registering two runs in the fifth to bring the score to 3-2.
 
The Colonels responded with a run in the bottom of the frame to regain a two-run advantage. Reese doubled off the right field wall and scored on a Seth Stevens single to center.
 
The Bulldogs made things interesting in the eighth. Alabama A&M led off with two singles before a fly out put runners at the corners. The next batter, Dylan Payne, singled to center and drove in a run. On the play, Patrick Dodson attempted to score from first and tie the game, but Justin Holt gunned him down and preserved the Nicholls lead.
 
Marc Frazier (3-5) earned the win, yielding two runs on five hits with three strikeouts through five innings on the mound. Cole Stapler tossed two scoreless frames in relief, fanning two batters and allowing just two hits. Robbie Petty gave up one run on three hits through 2/3 of an inning in the eighth before Holmes entered the contest.
 
Derrick Winter (0-1) took the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) with two strikeouts through 7 1/3 innings on the hill.
 
Reese extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a 3-for-4 night and two runs scored. Vandevere went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the win. Stevens and Morales each batted 1-for-3 with a run.
 
Payne and Trea Nelson both went 1-for-4 at the plate and contributed a run to pace the Bulldogs.
 
Nicholls will return to conference play against New Orleans in a three-game home-away-home series this weekend, broadcast live on KTIB 640 AM.
 
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