AUSTIN, Texas (February 21, 2026) – After allowing a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning in an 7-6 loss in game one, The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team responded with an 8-3 win in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at St. Edward's University.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 6, SEU 7):

• UTPB scored five runs on four hits in the top of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead (6-5).
• Carlos Chavez led off the inning with a double to left field and later scored on a wild pitch on a swing and a miss on strike three.
• Trailing 5-4 later in the inning, back-to-back walks by Andrew Prado and Gael Bernal loaded the bases for Tanner Hedrick, and Hedrick came through with a two-run single to put the Falcons ahead.
• Owen Forbes (0-1) pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning with three straight flyouts, but after a fielding error by the Falcons' Cruz Garcia at second base to start off the bottom of the seventh, a walk and a sacrifice bunt put two runners into scoring position with just one out.
• The error was the second game-changing mistake by the Falcons' defense in the game after a dropped fly ball by Daylon Jefcoats in left field in the bottom of the third inning ultimately allowed two runs to score. It was the second dropped fly ball by Jefcoats in as many games.
• Forbes was forced to intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases and force an out at any base, and after a flyout to center field, he was one out away from securing the win.
• Unfortunately, and two-run single through the left side by Dawson Stutz gave the Hilltoppers the walk-off victory.
• Bernal and Garcia (2 RBI's) were both 2-for-3 for the Falcons' offense.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 8, SEU 3):

• Tied 3-3 after three innings, UTPB scored three runs for the second inning in a row in the top of the fourth and scored in four straight innings overall.
• The top of the fourth started with a leadoff single through the right side by Garcia, and then with the bases loaded and one out, an error at second base on a ball hit off the bat of Bernal allowed two runs to score and break the tie.
• Then with two outs, Chavez doubled to left field to score Bernal and make it a 6-3 Falcons' lead.
• Damian Robles (3-0) proceeded to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth and pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth.
• In the bottom of the seventh, the new pitcher, Shawn George, went strikeout, walk, strikeout, walk, and then got the final out on a grounder to second base to finish off the win.
• Robles earned his third win this season, pitching 5.2 innings allowing three hits, three runs, five walks and four strikeouts. He threw 115 total pitches.
• After leading off the inning with a hit and scoring the go-ahead run in the fourth inning, Garcia added a solo homer to left field in the fifth inning. He led UTPB at the plate in game two, hitting 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and a double, and combined on the day he was 5-for-7 with three RBI's.

 
Team Records:

• Game two of the doubleheader marked the first win for UTPB (4-9 overall, 4-9 Lone Star Conference) against SEU (8-4, 8-4) since winning the first two games of their series back in 2024.
• With four wins already this season, UTPB has surpassed its win total through 22 games a year ago.
• In addition, for the second weekend in a row, Head Coach Justin Phillips earned his first-career win against the Falcons' opponent.

 
Coach's Quote:

• Coach Phillips said, "We were one out away from two wins today. Two quality starts gave us a chance to win. Two key plays (i.e., two errors) in game one cost us the opportunity to win, but we responded well in game two with timely hits and extending the lead. We had guys step up big with a couple of our guys going down. We have to keep playing Falcon baseball."

 
Next Up: The fourth and final game of the series between UTPB and St. Edward's will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, from Austin, Texas.