game one box score
game two box score
 
LAREDO – The UTPB softball team scored four runs in two games against Texas A&M International and sophomore Lucero Porras had a hand in all of them.  She drove in all three runs in the Falcons' 3-2 win in the opener and was part of a play that led to UTPB's lone run in the second. 
 
The Falcons took the opener before falling 2-1 in nine innings in the nightcap.  The 3-2 win over the Dustdevils coupled with a Panhandle State loss to Newman gives UTPB the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Heartland Conference Tournament. 
 
Porras, who appeared in just 17 of the Falcons' 25 games before the start of conference play with 16 at-bats and started just four of those contests.  Since the start of league play, she is hitting .348 with a home run and seven RBI and is now a regular in the starting lineup. 
 
In the first game, Porras was 2-for-4 with three RBI and was the only Falcon with two hits in the victory.  She hit a single to center in the top of the third which drove in Anna Hollingsworth to give UTPB an early 1-0 lead.  She would give the Falcons a 2-0 lead in the fifth with an infield single which allowed Lesli Ericson, who reached with a single, to score from third. 
 
Texas A&M International tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with two runs off three hits before Porras came through once again in the top of the ninth when she reached on an error, but her hit allowed Jackie Guzman  to score from third which proved to be the game-winning run. 
 
Pitcher Desiree Valero picked up her 12^th win of the season after allowing two runs off six hits while striking out four. 
 
In the second game, Mariena Gallardo singled down the left line in the bottom of the ninth that drove in the game-winning run. 
 
UTPB struck first in the fifth  when Guzman led off the inning with a single down the right field line before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tomie Ellard.  Porras moved Guzman to third with a single to right and would later allow her to score when she was caught stealing at second base. 
 
The Dustdevils waited until the bottom of the seventh to score as the first two batters singled before a walk loaded the bases.  Before the Falcons could get an out in the inning, TAMIU tied the game at one. 
 
After the split, the Falcons moved to 15-30 overall and 6-8 in Heartland Conference play.  The two teams will play the final game tomorrow before they prepare for the league tournament, which will begin on Thursday.