LAREDO – The University of Texas of the Permian Basin baseball team opened the 2011 season with a win and a loss against Texas A&M International, dropping the first game 11-5 before taking a 5-4 in the nightcap.
In the first game, the Falcons jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings, but the Dustdevils rallied for three runs in the fifth and busted out for eight in the sixth which proved to be too much for UTPB.
In the top of the second
Hugo Hernandez tripled to left center to plate
Travis Wilcox,
Garrett Wolff and Candler Goode. Wolff started the rally with a one out walk before Wilcox moved him to third with a double to right center before Hernandez' three-bagger. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI.
UTPB would extend its lead to 5-0 in the fourth when it took advantage of a TAMIU error and an RBI single by
Austin Wooldridge.
A&M International cut into the Falcon lead in the fifth inning after scoring three runs off three hits, including a two-run single by Chris Collazo. He would finish the game by going 3-for-4 with four RBI.
The momentum would continue for the Dustdevils in the sixth when they took advantage of five walks, a hit-by-pitch and an error. By the time the inning was over, TAMIU led 11-5 and never looked back.
Both teams finished with seven hits each, three of which were extra-base hits by the Falcons.
Felix Cardenas went 4.2 innings giving up three runs off three hits while striking out eight in the no decision.
In the second game, the Falcon bats came alive in the fourth inning when they busted out for five runs off five hits including a two-run blast to left center by
Jeremy Miller, scoring Wooldridge, who led off the inning with a single to left.
The frame proved to be enough as UTPB held off a two-run fifth and a two-run seventh by the Dustdevils.
Connor Lewis started for the Falcons, pitching 6.1 innings where he gave up three earned runs off nine hits while striking out four. Wilcox came in and shut the door on TAMIU as he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings and gave up just two hits in his appearance.
The two teams will play the third and final game of the series tomorrow at noon tomorrow in Laredo.
