The University of Texas of the Permian Basin baseball team saw the 2011 season come to an end at the Heartland Conference Tournament after dropping games to St. Mary's and St. Edward's. The Falcons fell to the top-seeded Rattlers 5-2 before bowing out to St. Edward's 6-2 in the elimination game.
UTPB ended the season with a 25-27 record and a third place regular season finish in league play. Four different players were named to the All-Heartland Conference first team, while two were given gold gloves.
In the first game, UTPB's bats were silenced by St. Mary's starter Greg Herbst, who tossed 7.2 innings and gave up just three hits and two runs, one of which was unearned. He had a no-hitter going until
Andy Quiring singled to center in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Rattlers on the other hand, had their way at the plate, finishing with 14 hits and left 15 runners on base en route to their 44
th win of the season.
Both teams scratched for runs in the first inning before St. Mary's put up a run in the third and another in the fourth to lead 3-1. It would put the icing on the cake with two more runs in the seventh before UTPB made it 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh. The Falcons made the game interesting in the bottom of the ninth as they loaded the bases with one out but were unable to cash in as Sammy Rivas stopped the threat by picking up his 14th save of the season.
The second game was much like the first as the Falcons had just two hits through the first five innings until the bats came alive in the sixth, where they picked up their first run of the game off three hits. Trailing 3-0 going into the bottom of the sixth,
Hugo Hernandez started the rally down the right field line before Quiring drove him in with a single up the middle. A bunt single by
Ryan Giacomini picked up the third hit of the frame, a bunt single, moving Quiring to second.
A three-run eighth inning by St. Edward's proved to be the difference in the game as starter Landon Patterson, who threw 146 pitches, allowed a UTPB run in the ninth while picking up his seventh win of the year.
St. Edward's will take on St. Mary's in the championship game tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Rattlers, ranked No. 4 nationally, have most likely already punched their ticket into the NCAA Tournament. St. Edward's will have to beat the Rattlers twice to receive the automatic bid to the national event.
