ODESSA, Texas (February 23, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team scored four runs in the second inning to lead 4-0, but the pitching staff could not contain a St. Edward's University offense that hit three two-run home runs en route to a 16-5 win in eight innings on Sunday at Roden Field.

UTPB was able to prevent a run in the top of the first inning by throwing out a runner at home plate on an overthrow from right field, and then a 4-6-3 double play ended the bottom of the first inning for the Falcons.

UTPB's starting pitcher, Nolan LaChappa (0-2), tossed a 1-2-3 second inning that featured a diving catch by the right fielder, Wiki DeLeon, on the first pitch of the inning.

UTPB then scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning, getting a trio of doubles to chase the starting pitcher, Carson Blakeley.

After a leadoff double to left center field by Taylor McDaniel, a sacrifice bunt by Jose Salcedo moved him to third base before a wild pitch allowed him to score the first run of the game.

DeLeon followed with a double to right center field and then Makai DeSoto proceeded to double down the left field line with a hard hit off the third baseman's glove, allowing DeLeon to score.

After a walk to Andrew Prado and a pitching change, UTPB's fourth double of the inning came off the bat of Kaleb Scull on a shot deep down the left field line, scoring DeLeon.

The third and final RBI-hit of the second inning for the Falcons was an RBI-single to center field by Jack Haggerty, scoring Prado.

In the top of the third inning, SEU's number two hitter in the lineup, Travis Chestnut, a transfer from Texas A&M University, got the ball up into the jet stream for a two-out, two-run home run to left field to cut its deficit in half (4-2).

Then in the top of the fourth, a two-out single kept the inning alive for another two-out, two-run home run to left field, this time by Nicholas Anderson to tie the score at 4-4.

That was just the beginning of a stretch of five straight two-out hits by the Hilltoppers in the top of the fourth inning, which ended with a two-run single to left field by Chestnut to give SEU a 6-4 advantage.

Starting off the fifth inning was a nice defensive play by Carson Johnson at third base, ranging into the gap before spinning and throwing over to first base for the first out of the inning. However, after a double to left center, a hanging curveball by Conner Clark resulted in the third two-run home run of the game by SEU, this one just fair down the left field line by Dylan Tate.

That gave the Hilltoppers a four-run lead (8-4) after it was the Falcons who led by four earlier in the game.

After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning pitched by Jaden Loggins, UTPB tried to chip away in the bottom half as McDaniel led off with single through the left side of the infield, advanced to second on the second sacrifice bunt of the game by Salcedo, and then scored from second on a two-out single to left field by DeSoto.

The Hilltoppers doubled up the Falcons again (10-5) when a walk, a hit by pitch and another walk loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the seventh and led to a two-run single to center field by Anderson.

UTPB was able to get out of the top of the seventh after a caught stealing at third base, the third caught stealing of the weekend by catcher Brent Rigtrup, followed by a swinging strikeout by Bryan Adams.

However, as they have done so often this series, the Hilltoppers pulled away late to put the game out of reach. This time, it was a six-run top of the eighth inning that started with a ground-rule double to right field.

Both teams hit four doubles in the contest (Skull, McDaniel, DeLeon, DeSoto). McDaniel finished 3-for-4 and DeSoto was 2-for-4 with two RBI-hits.

For SEU, Chestnut and Anderson combined to hit 6-for-9 with 11 RBI's and three runs scored.

After entering to pitch with one out in the bottom of the second inning, Ben Smedshammer (2-0) helped right the ship for the Hilltoppers with 5.2 innings pitched allowing five hits, one run, no walks and three strikeouts.

UTPB is now 2-14 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference while SEU improves to 14-3 overall and 13-3 in the LSC after earning the series sweep and improving its winning streak to 10 straight games.

Next up, the Falcons will begin their third Lone Star Conference series on the road this season. The Falcons will battle West Texas A&M University starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 28, from Wilder Park in Canyon, Texas.