ODESSA, Texas (January 31, 2026) – One day after dropping its season opener to No. 12 nationally-ranked Angelo State University by 10 runs, The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team fell by the same margin, this time a 13-3 defeat in eight innings as the Falcons returned to their home diamond at Roden Field on a very cold Saturday.

It was a long game that lasted for over three and a half hours.

After a one-out walk in the top of the first inning, three straight singles by the Rams led to the first two runs of the game on a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield just five batters into the game. It was the second game in a row to open the season UTPB (0-2 overall, 0-2 Lone Star Conference) allowed ASU (2-0, 2-0) to plate two runs in the opening inning.

Carlos Chavez hit his second double in as many games with two outs in the bottom of the first, and unlike the early going yesterday, UTPB was able to come through with runners in scoring position this time as Alden Quintanilla sent a single through the hole on the left side to score Chavez and make it a 2-1 deficit after the first inning.

Daylon Jefcoats took away extra bases with a diving catch in right field for the first out of the second inning, and then Carter Chaney made a nice catch closing in on the wall in the left-center field gap for the second out of the inning.

After drawing 11 walks as a team on Friday, ASU drew its fourth walk on Saturday to leadoff the third inning. ASU was then able to get back the run it gave up in the bottom of the first, retaking a 3-1 lead with a two-out RBI-single to left field. That was unfortunately followed two batters later by an error by the Falcons' middle infield trying to get the final out of the inning at second base, leading to a trio of unearned runs, the last two coming on a two-run double to right center field off the bat of Austin Beck to make it 6-1 after two and a half innings.

That marked the end of the day for starting pitcher Timmy LaChappa (0-1), who gave way to Sebastian Lozoya to start off the fourth inning. After a pair of strikeouts by Lozoya in a scoreless top of the fourth, the bottom half of the inning saw UTPB put two runners on base at the same time for the first time in the game as Chavez singled to left field and Quintanilla singled through the right side, putting two runners on with nobody out. However, a lineout double play to first base on the following at bat was followed by a swinging strikeout to leave Chavez stranded at second base.

After another standout catch by Chaney in center field, this time sprinting into the right-center field gap to record the second out of the top of the fifth inning, a standup triple to right field for ASU was followed by Beck's second RBI-double in as many at bats, making it a 7-1 Rams' lead through four and a half innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, Jefcoats battled ASU starting pitcher Garrett Baumann (1-0) to a full count and delivered a two-out RBI-triple down the left field line, representing the first hit of the game for UTPB from a player not named Chavez or Quintanilla. Gael Bernal followed with an infield single on a dribbler perfectly placed between the pitcher and third base, allowing Jefcoats to score and marking the first time this season with back-to-back RBI-hits for the Falcons.

The bottom of the fifth inning continued as two errors by ASU had UTPB threatening to add to its total with two runners in scoring position, but a great pick by Tate Greene at third base resulted in the final out of the inning and prevented UTPB from cutting into its deficit any further. The Falcons then loaded the bases with just one out in the sixth inning, but a groundball double play ended that inning.

Baumann settled in to earn the win for ASU, working five innings and allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out six.

ASU would total seven runs between the final four innings to force the 10-run rule for the second game in a row. The Rams would finish the game with 14 hits, 11 walks and seven stolen bases.

Quintanilla finished 3-for-4 at the plate for UTPB while Chavez went 2-for-4 for the second game in a row.

The top-four spots in the Falcons' lineup accounted for seven of UTPB's eight hits as a team.

UTPB Head Baseball Coach Justin Phillips said, "Timely hits matter in the game of baseball, and we have missed on those opportunities so far this season. We are getting guys on, but are just not executing with runners in scoring position. On the other side, we also have to pitch ahead in the count and make better pitches when we get ahead. When we do that, we are good, but when we do not, it makes for a long day like today. Defensively, we gave up three runs today on balls going off our glove. It is early and we are young, but we have to learn from our mistakes at a much faster rate."

The third and final game of the season-opening series between UTPB and Angelo State will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 1, from Roden Field.