Chris Ortega, facing the final pitch of UT Permian Basin's opening game against Colorado School of Mines, drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field with the bases loaded for a game-winning walk-off grand slam to give the Falcons an 8-6 win over the Orediggers Sunday afternoon at Roden Field.

Trailing 6-2 heading into the bottom of the 8th, UTPB got the offense going as Tyler Houlihan led off the frame with a full-count single into left field. The Falcons loaded the bases when Mike Fernandez walked and Daniel Andrade singled into right field with one out, and a Jordan Zazulak single into center field drove in Houlihan for the first run of the game. Mitchell Hazlett followed with an RBI single into left to drive home Fernandez, and two batters later Ortega sent the ball over the wall for his second home run of the season.

The Falcons had earlier taken their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run Andrade single into right, but the Orediggers forced extra innings with an unearned run with two outs in the top of the seventh.

UTPB led early on in game two Sunday when Fernandez homered in the bottom of the first with Houlihan on base for the quick 2-0 lead. UT Permian Basin scored a pair of runs in each of the third and fourth innings to lead 6-3, but Colorado Mines scored the last four runs of the game, including three in the top of the sixth, for the 7-6 win.

UTPB hits the road next weekend for its first conference series of the season, taking on West Texas A&M beginning Friday night in Canyon, Texas.