UTPB starting pitcher Brett Rogers improved to 6-5 in 2013 and Trey Cochran hit his first home run of the season in what proved to be the only run of the game in a 1-0 shutout of #21 St. Edward's in the opening game of the three game set between the two teams Friday afternoon in Austin, Texas. The Hilltoppers rebounded to take game two 8-5 at Lucian-Hamilton Field.

Rogers tossed 6.1 scoreless innings for UTPB, allowing five hits and two walks in his fourth starting effort without allowing a run. He dropped his ERA on the season down to 2.54 through 63.2 innings, tied for the team lead this season.

Trey Cochran came through for UTPB to lead off the top of the seventh, going deep to left center on a full count for his first homer of the year.

Jacob Ricossa shut the door in the bottom of the seventh, earning his third save of the season after entering with one out in the inning and runners on first and second. He needed just four pitches to wrap up the game, getting a double play up the middle to give the Falcons the game one win.

The Falcons got on the board first in game two, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second. Neil Madsen made alead off single to left pay off by scoring on a dropped third strike, and Nelson Quintero gave UTPB a 2-0 lead on a single up the middle to bring in Jordyn Van Atta.

St. Edward's evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, scoring its first run on a wild pitch before driving in the tying run on an infield single to first.

The Hilltoppers and Falcons traded two run innings in the bottom of the fourth and top of the fifth, as St. Edward's took a 4-2 lead on a double by Dylan Watts that scored two. UTPB responded with runs of its own its next time up, scoring one on Tyler Forney's first long ball of the year to lead off the top of the fifth and tying the game on a Van Atta sacrifice fly that drove home Cochran.

St. Edward's came through with a three run bottom half of the fifth behind three hits to start off the inning, and error on the third base hit that allowed two runs to score and a sac fly. that led to a 7-4 St. Edward's advantage.

Each team scored one in the eight, with Michael Rice getting a single up the middle with two outs to score Madsen. The Hilltoppers matched UTPB with an RBI double by Watts down the line for the eventual final score of 8-5.

The teams go for the series win Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. in Austin.