ODESSA, Texas (February 22, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team was defeated in its Saturday doubleheader for the fourth weekend in a row, falling 8-3 and 7-3 at home against St. Edward's University.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 3, SEU 8):

• SEU scored first with a walk followed by back-to-back singles, all with one out, in the top of the first inning.
• UTPB stranded runners at the corners in the bottom of the first inning after a one-out double down the third base line by Jack Haggerty and a two-out single down the right field line by Brent Rigtrup.
• Rigtrup would proceed to throw out a would-be base stealer in both the second and third innings and led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single up the middle before being stranded at second base.
• SEU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning when a two-out double down the left field line was followed by an RBI-double also down the left field line. The Hilltoppers added another run in the fourth inning when a ball to right field was misplayed and allowed a run to score from first base on the error, and then they scored for the third inning in a row with a pair of runs after back-to-back walks to lead off the inning in the fifth.
• UTPB tried to get back into it in the bottom of the fifth as Andrew Prado and Kaleb Scull started things of with back-to-back doubles to make the score 5-2. Haggerty followed with a single and Carson Johnson drew a hit by pitch to load the bases with nobody out, but Parker Tennill entered to pitch and got three straight outs to keep the damage to a minimum with only one more run scoring.
• After turning a double play to end the top of the sixth inning, the Falcons went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the sixth against Tennill and then saw the Hilltoppers add three more runs on five hits in the top of the seventh inning to put the game out of reach.
• Tennill picked up his fifth save of the season by pitching the final three innings and allowing no hits and no runs.
• Rigtrup and Haggerty both finished with two hits while Scull, Haggerty and Prado each hit a double.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 3, SEU 7):

• SEU would again score in the first inning, this time scoring two runs on two hits, and UTPB would not get its first hit until Johnson led off the bottom of the fourth with a double down the left field line.
• Johnson, however, would get left at third base when the inning ended, and again SEU capitalized on the potential momentum shift with another two-hit, two-run inning in the top of the fifth to double up its lead (4-0).
• Down 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth, UTPB got on the board as a pair of passed third strikes on the Hilltoppers both extended the inning and then allowed Taylor McDaniel to score from third base.
• With bases loaded, SEU starting pitcher Jakub Rayfield (1-2) left three stranded with a critical strikeout to end the sixth inning.
• Earlier in the game, Rayfleld retired 12 of the first 15 UTPB hitters to keep the Hilltoppers with a 2-0 lead until SEU broke through again in the fifth.
• SEU's third two-run inning of the game came in the seventh when the Hilltoppers scored twice on a pair of wild pitches and finished the inning with two runs on no hits.
• Johnson was the lone Falcon with two hits in game two.
• Scull and Johnson both hit a double, giving Scull two doubles and the Falcons five on the day.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB falls to 2-13 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference, and has lost seven straight games.
• SEU (13-3 overall) sees its winning streak move to nine straight games as the Hilltoppers improve to 12-3 in the LSC.

 
Coach's Quote:

• Head Coach Justin Phillips said, "We have to attack the zone from the bullpen and we have to get timely hitting. We simply left too many guys on the base paths and in scoring position."

 
Next Up: The fourth and final game of the series between UTPB and St. Edward's will start at 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, from Odessa, Texas.