Falcon pitchers had a day to remember in Friday's Lone Star Conference doubleheader versus No. 22 West Texas A&M. Becky Berth, the Game 1 starter, and Abby Cousins, who pitched six relief innings in Game 2, each had phenomenal performances in UTPB's sweep of the defending national champions.
 
Becky Berth pieced together one of the best outings of her career on Friday afternoon. The senior right-hander picked up a complete-game win over West Texas A&M, surrendering just one earned run on three hits and two walks. Berth struck out one Lady Buff and bounced back after a tough first inning to toss six scoreless frames to close it out.
 
A big two-run single by Melayna Lopez gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. UTPB scored again when Sydney Bishop touched home plate following a wild pitch later in the second. The Falcons scored their final insurance run on an Aubree Beggs RBI single in the sixth to create a 4-1 advantage. Thanks to stellar defense and shut-down pitching by Berth, UT Permian Basin was able to hold on and earn their first win over West Texas A&M since March 9, 2019.
 
Emily Andress had the only extra-base hit of the day, going 1-for-3 with a double against the Lady Buffs. Lopez finished 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run while Beggs was 1-for-3 with a run batted in. Aracely Araiza and Julia Bumford also reached safely in Game 1. Mia Quintero, Ashlynn Bradley, and Bishop were hitless but did score in the win.
 
The two offenses found their footing early in the second game of Friday's doubleheader. The Lady Buffs plated two runs in the top of the first before a bases-loaded walk the following half-inning drove in Andress to cut UTPB's deficit to one run. West Texas A&M brought across another runner in the third to control a 3-1 advantage. A defensive error helped the Falcons in the bottom of the fourth, as the two-out errant throw allowed Andress to score again.
 
A seventh-inning rally helped UT Permian Basin walk-off Game 2. Andress singled to lead off the inning and came around to score in the next at-bat on an Araiza triple. Bumford, the next batter, had her fly ball get caught in a gust of wind that the Lady Buffs couldn't handle to drive in Araiza and hand the Falcons a 4-3 walk-off triumph.
 
Destini Trahan started the game and went one inning in the circle. Cousins entered in the second and went six innings while giving up no earned runs and just five baserunners.
 
Andress had a strong day at the plate in Game 2, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Araiza was 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and one run, while Bumford went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bradley (1-2, RBI) also had a hit in the thrilling win.
 
UT Permian Basin softball (19-28) plays their penultimate Lone Star Conference doubleheader of the season later this weekend in Odessa. The Falcons will play host to Eastern New Mexico (17-27) on Sunday afternoon. Games are slated to begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Download the UTPB Athletics App to follow the team all season long.