Box Score

UT Permian Basin (6-28, 2-7) dropped the opening game of a four-game series 8-5 to Tarleton State (24-13, 9-4) on Saturday in Odessa.

Tarleton struck first when Elvin Alamo's triple drove in Blake Adams just two batters into the game. Alamo scored on a Ruben Rodriguez sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. UTPB got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a Skyler Palermo single to score Tony Oslovar and make it 2-1. Tarleton would add a pair in the third on a Dylan Lemons sacrifice fly followed by an RBI single by Luke Morton. Tarleton would add another in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Adams to make it 5-1.

UTPB came back with a run of their own, in the bottom half of the inning, with an RBI single by Alex Wixson. Tarleton would add two more in the fifth including a solo home run by Jared McCarver. The score would remain that way until the eighth. Mitchell Hazlett would score on a wild pitch to make it 7-3. Then with two-on, Wixson doubled into the left field corner to plate the pair to make it 7-5. That's all UTPB would get as Tarleton added another run in the ninth to make it 8-5.

Starting pitcher Andrew Loudermilk took the loss for UTPB while Conner Fletcher got the win for Tarleton, pitching into the eighth. Eddie Avila came on to get his ninth save of the season. The Falcon bullpen of Tyler Averitt and Matt Williams combined to go 4.1 innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out eight.

Wixon, Palermo, Hazlett and Mike Fernandez each had a pair of hits for the Falcons on the afternoon. Seven Falcons recorded a hit in the game. Wixson led the team with three RBI while Fernandez scored twice on the day.

These two teams meet again Sunday in a double-header starting at 1 p.m. before finishing up their series on Monday.