Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Brett Rogers threw seven innings of shutout baseball in the nightcap Friday afternoon to help UTPB to a 4-0 shutout of McMurry, following a 2-1 extra-innings defeat  to the War Hawks in the series opener.

UTPB starting pitcher Nick Duffield worked out of trouble in the top of the third of game one after the War Hawks singled to lead off the inning, and an error at third in the next at bat placed runners on first and second with no one out. The Falcons got out of the jam with a strike out for the innings first out, a soft grounder down the 3rd base line for the force at third and a hard liner up the middle to the third base side of second to get the final out of the inning at second.
 
UTPB wasn't as fortunate in the top of the fourth, working out of the same scenario after a hit into right and a hit batter put two on with no outs. The Falcons got a pair of outs in the next at bat, as AJ Dupree was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Mike Briseno trying to score from second on a single through the left side of the infield. Jordan Van Atta threw to first after applying the tag, throwing behind Dylan De Leon and first baseman Neil Madsen fired across the diamond to get Eric Preuss trying to advance to third. The War Hawks came through with two outs thought as Jeffers Rader singled in to right to score De Leon for the game's first run.
 
McMurry looked poised to score again in the top of the fifth, getting runners on the corners with back-to-back hits and just one out. Duffield got out of the tight spot with a line drive to shallow right for the second out, and the Falcons got the third out of the fifth at the plate as McMurry tried to advance both runners on a delayed attempt on a ball in the dirt. Van Atta threw down to second, and Tyler Forney's throw back to the plate was in time to get Ricky Garcia out at home.
 
UTPB got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, taking the game to the final out before Van Atta ripped a single between short and 3rd with runners on the corners tie the game at 1-1 and send it to extra innings.
 
The War Hawks got the run back in their half of the eighth, drawing a walk to lead off the inning and putting two on with a hit by pitch. A tw0 out single into right by Dylan De Leon scored Ruben Zendejas, and the lone run proved to be enough as McMurry shut the Falcons down in order in the bottom of the eighth to take game one 2-1.
 
Charlie Henjy earned the win (1-0) in 1.2 innings of relief, allowing a hit and a walk in the seventh. Spencer Smith gave up an unearned run on a pair of hits and two walks while striking out two for McMurry.
 
Nick Duffield took the loss for UTPB, giving up two runs off of eight hits and two walks while striking out four in 7.2 innings of action.
 
The Falcons tallied runs early in game two, getting a pair in the bottom of the first after starting off the first inning with a throwing error from short that led leadoff batter Mike Briseno advance to second. A sacrifice bunt moved Briseno over to third, and after Tyler Forney walked to put runners on the corners, both runners advanced on stolen bases to put the Falcons on top 1-0. Forney picked up his second stolen base of the game, taking third in the next at bat, and scored easily on a Trey Cochran double into the corner in right for a 2-0 advantage.
 
UTPB added another run in the bottom of the second as Ryan Popescu hit a sac fly out to center with runners on first and third to score Scott Hastings.
 
The Falcons tacked on another score in the bottom of the sixth, kicking it off with a Ryan Popescu base hit up the middle with two outs. After a successful steal of second, he scored on Briseno's single into center to increase the lead out to 4-0.
 
Brett Rogers controlled the game on the mound for UTPB in earning his first win of the season, giving up just two hits, one in the third and a second in the seventh, while walking one and striking out four. He went 12 consecutive batters without allowing a base runner until giving up a single to AJ Dupre with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Falcons chased McMurry starter Trevor Daggon after 2+ innings. Daggon was charged with three runs, one earned, off of four hits and a walk.
 
The teams finish off the three game series tomorrow afternoon at Roden Field beginning at 1 p.m.