It was a banner day for Devin Ferrari against one of the best pitching staffs in Division II baseball.  Ferrari went 5-for-5 and reached safely all seven times at the plate for UT Permian Basin on Monday.  On the mound the Falcons kept the No. 3 West Texas A&M Buffs bats quiet, holding one of the most prolific offenses in the country to just 11 runs in doubleheader action.
 
The Falcons were kept in check at the plate until the seventh inning of the opening game.  Walks to Bernie Valdez and Gabe Melendez put a pair on with one out.  Michael Clapperton singled through the right side to load the bases.  Gabe Morin got the team on the board with a sac fly to right.  Garret Thornton then followed with a single to left to score a pair, but the damage was too late, and the Falcons fell 8-3 in the opener.
 
Game two quickly turned into a pitchers' duel.  The Buffs stranded the bases loaded in the first inning as each side traded zeroes.  In the fourth, J Raul Lopez worked a lead off walk.  After advancing on a sac bunt, Ferrari hit a booming triple to left center to get the first run on the board.  In the seventh the Buffs finally scored on a fielding error.  In the eighth they plated two more on a double and another error to take the lead.  The Falcons had two on in the ninth but couldn't push a run across for the 3-1 final.
 
Coming into Monday the Buffs were averaging nearly 13 runs per game.  Cade Pollard was brilliant.  He threw five shutout innings in his first start of the season.  Ferrari had three hits in the opening game, including a double, then two hits and a pair of walks in game two.  Clapperton also had a pair of hits on the day. 
 
The Falcons hit the road next weekend to take on Eastern New Mexico.  Download the UTBP Athletics App to follow the team all season long.