ODESSA, Texas (March 29, 2025) – Behind a complete-game, one-hit shutout from freshman right-handed pitcher Timmy LaChappa, The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team defeated No. 3 nationally-ranked The University of Texas at Tyler 1-0 in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Roden Field. It was a great way to end the day for the Falcons after a tough 21-7 defeat in the first game of the day.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 7, UT Tyler 21):

• UT Tyler came out of the gates in the first inning with a leadoff double down the left field line followed by an RBI-triple to right center field. Later on in the inning, a single to left field saw the ball sneak past the left fielder and allow three more runs to score, including the batter. It was similar to Friday's game when both an error at shortstop and in left field allowed three runs to score on one play.
• Jack Haggerty made up for his blunder in the bottom half of the first as he singled to left field with one out and came around to score from second base on an RBI-single through the right side by Brent Rigtrup. Makai DeSoto and Taylor McDaniel added RBI-singles as well to make it 5-3 after one inning.
• The UT Tyler offense, however, would not slow down, scoring four more runs in a top of the second inning that featured a trio of RBI-doubles.
• UT Tyler scored 10 runs on 10 hits through three innings, and then added 10 more runs on 10 hits in the fifth inning.
• With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth for UTPB, Ethan Ralph delivered his first-career extra-base hit with a two-run double to center field.
• Ralph's double was UTPB's only extra-base hit of the game while UT Tyler finished with 10 total extra-base hits and nine doubles, including three doubles by Drew Schmidt, who also added six runs batted in.
• The 25 hits allowed by the UTPB pitching staff were a new season-high.
• Haggerty (2-for-3), DeSoto (2-for-4) and Andrew Prado (2-for-3; 2 runs scored) each had two hits for the Falcons.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 1, UT Tyler 0):

• After watching his older brother, senior Nolan LaChappa (2-3), get the start in game one, T. LaChappa (2-4) took to the mound in game two. After a leadoff walk to start off the game, a 4-6-3 double play started a stretch of nine straight batters retired by T. LaChappa.
• UTPB took its 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after a leadoff single to left field by DeSoto, a sacrifice bunt by McDaniel and two batters later, a two-out RBI-single to center field by Jose Salcedo.
• After facing the minimum through three innings, T. LaChappa walked two more batters, gave up his first hit of the game and faced the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, but got a groundout to DeSoto at second base to preserve the 1-0 advantage. It would not the last groundball of the day to DeSoto.
• An incredible diving catch by Rigtrup up against the fence behind home plate helped T. LaChappa finish off a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning, and then back-to-back swinging strikeouts started another 1-2-3 inning for T. LaChappa in the top of the sixth that ended with a groundout out right back to him on the mound.
• Just three outs away from recording the complete-game shutout against the No. 3 nationally-ranked team in the country, T. LaChappa saw the first batter he faced in the top of the seventh miss extra-bases just inches foul down the right field line before grounding out to McDaniel at first base. On the second at bat, DeSoto stayed with it at second base to record the second out. The final out was an easy one to DeSoto.
• T. LaChappa finished with a line of one hit, no runs, three walks and three strikeouts in seven innings.
• It was the fourth one-hitter in program history and the first since February 3, 2017, when six different pitchers combined to limit the University of the Southwest to one hit in a 9-1 season-opening win for UTPB at Roden Field in Odessa, Texas.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB's record moves to 9-23 overall and 9-22 in the Lone Star Conference while UT Tyler's moves to 27-9 and 27-8. It was UTPB's fifth win over UT Tyler in 10 games between the two teams over the last two seasons.

Coach's Quote:

• "The difference in both games was pitching," said Head Coach Justin Phillips. "In game one, every ball that they put into play found a hole and we could not stop the bleeding. We did not make enough quality pitches to get the big outs. In game two, Timmy did an outstanding job of changing speeds and making big pitches when behind in the count. It was a rare site of a game that only had one run scored come from a sac bunt from McDaniel and a timely hit from Salcedo."

 
Next Up: The fourth and final game of the series between UTPB and UT Tyler will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, from Odessa, Texas.