Cole Dickie, Devin Ferrari and Pedro Astacio each knocked in three runs, as the University of Texas Permian Basin defeated Arkansas Fort Smith, 13-8, on Sunday afternoon, giving the Falcons a three-games-to-one Lone Star Conference series win at Roden Field.
 
The Lions took an initial lead and enjoyed a tie game after three innings, but the Falcons scored seven runs in the middle innings to build a seemingly insurmountable margin. UAFS closed the gap to three with an eighth-inning grand slam homer, but two Falcon insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth sealed the win.
 
In a series which has seen its share of multi-run innings, Lions threatened to have a big first inning, scoring the first two batters in their lineup. Then, Falcon starter Jake Rohde buckled down, pitching his way out of a bases-loaded situation by striking out the last two UAFS batters—the last on a 3-2 count.
 
Another recent trend, consecutive extra-base hits, manifested itself in the bottom of the first when the Falcons grabbed a 4-2 lead. With two outs, Dickie doubled down the left field line, driving home two runs. Then Dickie scored when Astacio doubled to left. Subsequently, Marcus Johnson tripled to right center, plating Astacio.
 
Rohde received the benefit of excellent fielding to quell a UAFS uprising in the top of the third. After the Lions scored twice to knot the score at 4-4, their next two batters lined out to the shortstop and hit into an inning-ending double play.
 
The Falcons escaped from another bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth, thanks to a timely double play that saw a Lion batter retired on a fly ball to center fielder Ferrari, who fired a strike to second baseman Mario Pena -- catching the UAFS runner on the base path before he could return to second base. A fielder's choice ground ball to shortstop Michael Clapperton registered the third out.
 
UT Permian Basin broke the tie in the bottom of the inning, taking a 7-4 lead. Ferrari delivered a two-RBI triple to right center, scoring Garrett Thornton, who had singled, and Oswaldo Godina, who had been hit by a pitch. Ferrari then came home on a wild pitch.
 
Falcon righthander Andrew Donovan began his own clutch pitching performance when he replaced Rohde on the mound in the top of the fifth. He held the Lions scoreless despite the fact that a UAFS runner reached base on a strikeout and wild pitch combination, and then advanced to third on a double. Donovan, who earned the win, pitched one inning, giving way Trevor Berg to begin the sixth.
 
An attempt to play small ball paid big dividends for the Falcons in the bottom of the fifth. After Gabriel Melendez led off with a single up the middle, Clapperton's bunt fell for a base hit. Thornton's sacrifice bunt then moved both runners into scoring position. Melendez subsequently scored on a throwing error. Clapperton then came home on Ferrari's double to right center, making the score 9-4 in UT Permian Basin's favor.
 
Astacio led off the bottom half of the sixth inning with a home run to left field. Several batters later, Clapperton plated Pena – who had reached base on a fielder's choice -- with a single through the right side of the infield. That gave the Falcons their 11^th run of the game.
 
The Lions closed the gap to 11-8 on Brooks Sunny's grand slam homer in the top of the eighth, but the Falcons' Berg closed the inning without surrendering another run.
 
UT Permian Basin began earning insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on a bases-loaded walk by Dickie and a sacrifice fly by Astacio.
 
Austin Parks replaced Berg to close out the ninth inning. He retired the side in order, to end the game and punctuate an impressive series win.
 
The Falcons are back in action next weekend at Oklahoma Christian.  Download the UTPB Athletics App to follow the team all season long.