AUSTIN, Texas – Senior reliever NICOLAS DAVIS was the unlikely hero in St. Edward's 8-7 win over the West Texas A&M Buffaloes, shutting down reigning Lone Star Conference Player of the Year Adam Becker to earn his first collegiate save. 

Davis's ability to rise to the occasion wasn't the surprise, but rather the circumstances under which he was called upon, entering the game in the top of the ninth inning with an 8-0 Hilltopper lead almost completely evaporated. 

Most of the game was a defensive battle, with both teams combining to leave 21 runners stranded through seven-and-a-half scoreless innings, with each team exiting an inning with bases loaded. 

LUKE NEGRETE started on the mound and was solid with five strikeouts, five hits allowed, and three walks in six shutout innings. West Texas A&M started Doug Rojas and got five scoreless innings with two hits surrendered. He also walked two in the fifth before getting out of the inning and was replaced by Maddux Hoaglund to start the sixth. 

BLAKE DONNAN replaced Negrete for St. Edwards in the seventh and retired the side in order with the help of a 6-4-3 double play. 

WESTON SYMES sparked the Hilltopper offense with a leadoff single, finding the gap between shortstop and third that Seth Ochoa could track down but required so much ground to be covered he couldn't make the throw. Then, after fouling off two bunt attempts to move Symes over, CARLO FIGUEROA ripped a 2-2 count to center field for the single. 

Next, KYLER KERLIN executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position and reached safely when the throw pulled Eddie Savoie off the bag at first to load the bases.

Brennan Berdon replaced Hoaglund, and CULLEN AINSWORTH capitalized with a frozen rope single to center field, scoring Symes and Figueroa to end Berdon's afternoon. Then, Tyler Cornett took the mound for West Texas A&M, and LANCE LITTLE welcomed him by turning his first-pitch fastball into a three-run blast to break open the game with a 5-0 lead. 

AUSTIN ESSEX took the mound in the eighth after Donnan walked the leadoff hitter. The Hilltopper defense responded with another 6-4-3 double play. Then, Essex walked a hitter and hit another before striking out Patrick Donovan to end the inning. 

St. Edward's added some insurance runs in the eighth inning when LUKE JOHNSON delivered a three-run home run, recording his second home run in consecutive games. 

JACK ENGELMANN took the mound to start the ninth for the Hilltoppers and got Ochoa to fly out. Cameron Loy followed with a solo blast, and things spiraled out of control from there. First, Engelmann hit Ryan Johnson, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Becker RBI single. 

St. Edward's went through four pitchers and surrendered six runs before turning to Davis with one out and bases loaded. Davis struck Loy out swinging and walked Johnson to bring West Texas A&M to within 8-7 with Becker up to bat with bases loaded. 

After working Becker into a 2-2 count, Davis got Becker to hit a harmless grounder down the first-base line for the final out of the game. 

St. Edward's improves to 8-2 with a 6-2 record after the win. The Hilltoppers will travel next weekend for a four-game series against Eastern New Mexico, with the first game on Friday, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday.