Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 UT Permian Basin softball led in both of their games Saturday at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz., but gave up late runs in both games against Oklahoma Baptist and Black Hills State in a pair of 9-7 and 7-2 losses.

UTPB responded after giving up a pair of runs in the top of the first in the opener against Oklahoma Baptist by grabbing two runs of its own in its first trip to the plate when Ruby Sanchez doubled to score Jessica Gonzales and Courtney Cagle to tie the game after one.

The Falcons got three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Alyssa Lopez put them in the lead by scoring Choco Munoz on a double, and Valerie Gonzalez drove her in with a second consecutive double for a 4-2 lead. Gonzalez came in on an April Arellano single for the three-run advantage. 

The Bison went on to tie the game, scoring twice in the fifth and evening the game in the sixth.

UTPB grabbed two runs back to reclaim the lead in the sixth, scoring on singles by Gonzales and Cagle for a 7-5 advantage.

Trailing by two, Oklahoma Baptist went back ahead for the final time with a three-run top of the seventh in their last time at the plate to eventually take the 7-5 win.

Alyssa Lopez led the offense in game one, going 3-4 at the dish with a pair of runs and an RBI. Gonzales added two hits with a pair of RBI and a run scored, and Sanchez had two RBI on the morning. 

The Falcons took a lead in the bottom of the third later in the day, breaking a 1-1 tie in the bottom half of the third on a single back up the middle to drive home Gonzalez for a 2-1 advantage. 

The Yellow Jackets responded by scoring twice in the top of the fifth to go back on top, and added four insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a five-run victory.

Arellano led UTPB, going 2-2 on offense with an RBI out of the second spot in the lineup.

The Falcons close out the weekend Sunday morning against Colorado Mesa.