KINGSVILLE, Texas (February 23, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin softball team fell victim to strong starting pitching by the Javelinas and lost 9-0 in six innings in game one and 6-2 in game number two on Sunday at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 0, TAMUK 9):

• Freshman Arianna Alaniz (4-2) pitched all six innings of the complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit and one walk while 14 of her 18 outs were strikeouts.
• Alaniz struck out the first six batters she faced and struck out the side in the first three innings.
• The lone baserunner against her in the first six innings came on a fielding error off the bat of Angelina Arriaga to lead off the third inning.
• In the sixth inning after back-to-backs strikeouts to get two outs, Emery Aguilar walked, the only walk of the day drawn by the Falcons. That came before the second fielding error of the game by the Javelinas, this time off the bat of Keri Sanford.
• Carlee Quintero followed with a single to left field, but Aguilar was out on the throw to the plate.
• It was the fourth series opener in a row the Falcons have been held to just one or fewer hits.
• Needing two runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, TAMUK got a leadoff walk followed by a single back to the pitcher and a two-run double to left center field to end it.
• Meghan Gattis had previously pitched a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth innings to try and give UTPB a chance before the Javelinas took the win in the sixth.
• Earlier in the game, TAMUK scored a run in the first inning without getting a single hit, getting a walk and a hit by pitch to start off the inning before back-to-back one-out walks brought in the first run of the game.
• TAMUK got two more runs in the second inning on another RBI-walk followed by a sacrifice fly, and then popped off for four runs in a third inning that featured three more walks, two wild pitches and just two hits, which were a pair of two-run doubles.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 2, TAMUK 6):

• Sanford was 2-for-3 from the top spot in the lineup, hitting a two-out, two-run double to right field in the fifth inning to pull the Falcons to within one run (3-2).
• Another TAMUK freshman pitcher, Ester Martinez (1-1), earned the second complete-game victory of the day for the Javelinas, pitching seven innings allowing four hits and two unearned runs while not issuing a single walk and striking out four Falcons.
• UTPB left two runners on base after a leadoff single by Sanford in the first inning as Martinez got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning, starting a stretch of 12 straight Falcons being retired until one out in the fifth inning.
• After a caught stealing for the second out in the bottom of the third inning, Seleste Compian came up with bunt single back to the pitcher, Jessica Cantrell (3-4), and stole second base to become the first runner to get into scoring position against Cantrell, leading to an RBI-single to center field by Alexis Soliz.
• Another two-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning led to two more runs for TAMUK as a passed ball moved the runner into scoring position and setup an RBI-single and an RBI-double, both hit to left field.
• Down 3-0 in the top of the fifth, a one-out single by Kylie Parker was followed by the third fielding error of the game by the Javelinas, leading to Sanford's big double to get the Falcons onto the scoreboard.
• Unfortunately, after a single by Aguilar to move Sanford to third, just one base away from tying the game, a lineout ended the inning as Martinez recorded seven straight outs to end the game.
• A three-run home run by designated hitter Dakota Martinez to left center field in the bottom of the fifth inning was the major blow providing separation on the scoreboard heading into the final two innings.
• The UTPB pitching staff held center fielder Lindsey Evans, who is currently tied for first in the Lone Star Conference with a .571 batting average and who came into the weekend hitting .641, to an 0-for-4 line in game two and a combined 1-for-7 performance on the day.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB falls to 5-13 overall and 0-8 in the Lone Star Conference.
• TAMUK improves to 11-8 and 6-2 and ranks second in the LSC in hits (173) and total bases (280) while leading the league with 74 walks after drawing 10 walks on the day vs. the Falcons.

 
Next Up: UTPB returns home next weekend to host St. Mary's University (Friday, Feb. 28; 1 p.m.) and St. Edward's University (Sunday, Mar. 2; 12 p.m.).