ODESSA, Texas (March 14, 2026) – The second four-game split in a row for The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team came this weekend as UTPB won game one 6-3 and fell 6-5 in game two on Saturday against Cameron University. It was also the second Saturday in a row that UTPB fell by just one run in the second game of its Saturday doubleheader.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 6, CU 3):

• Damian Robles allowed a leadoff walk in the first inning, but quickly erased him on his second attempt at a pickoff.
• Carlos Chavez started a two-out rally in the bottom of the first with a walk, moved from first to third on a single through the right side by Gael Bernal, and later scored the first run of the game on an RBI-walk by Cruz Garcia.
• Despite allowing the tying run with a leadoff single down the right field line followed by an RBI-double to left center in the top of the second inning, Robles then got a foul out and a swinging strikeout, and was able to strand to go-ahead run on third base after the second of back-to-back swinging strikeouts to end the inning.
• After starting UTPB's scoring rally in the first inning, Chavez was the one to deliver the first RBI-hit in the bottom of the second inning, coming up with the bases loaded and one out and sending a two-run single to center field to put the Falcons right back in front (3-1). Bernal followed with an RBI-double to left field, his second hit in as many innings to start the game, making the score 4-1.
• Trailing 4-2, Cameron loaded the bases with nobody out after back-to-back singles followed by a walk to start off the top of the fourth inning. Robles got a called strike three for the first out, but a sacrifice fly to center field allowed the Aggies to score one run for the third inning in a row, making it just a one-run deficit (4-3). A strong defense play kept the Aggies from tying the game as a single to right field saw Daylon Jefcoats come up throwing and successfully throw out the runner at home trying to score from second base, bringing an abrupt end to the inning.
• Then in the bottom of the fourth, it was Jefcoats leading off with a single up the middle before stealing second base and scoring from second on an RBI-single through the left side by Chavez. It was Chavez's second RBI-hit in a row. Bernal would follow with a hit by pitch, matching Chavez by reaching base for the third time in three plate appearances, and Bernal would later score on a two-out RBI-single to right field by Garcia just over the leaping second baseman. It was Garcia's second RBI of the game and made the score a 6-3 Falcons' lead after four innings.
• Robles would exit with one out in the sixth inning, and Shawn George was able to help keep the Aggies off the scoreboard, stranding two runners on base for Cameron.
• Robles allowed seven hits, three total runs, two earned runs, four walks and six strikeouts in his 5.1 innings. He improved his record to an impressive 5-1 on the season.
• Trying to finish off the save in the top of the seventh, George successfully covered first base on a grounder to first for out number one. Then with two runners on after a walk and a single and facing a full count, a great breaking pitch by George froze the batter for out number two. Lastly, with the two runners now in scoring position after a wild pitch and with another full count at the plate, George buried another breaking pitch and got the swing and a miss to end the game.
• On the offensive end, Chavez 2-for-3 with a walk, hit the go-ahead two run-single in the second inning, and added another RBI-single in the fourth inning; and Bernal was also 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch while adding an RBI-double in the second inning.
• Jefcoats led UTPB with two runs scored for the second game in a row.
• Five of UTPB's six runs came from the top-four spots in the lineup.
• Unfortuantely, it was also the end of UTPB's six-game double-digit hit streak. Both teams had eight hits in game one while UTPB drew three hit by pitches.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 5, CU 6):

• Zeke Alexander struck out the side swinging in a 1-2-3 top of the first inning.
• UTPB then scored in the bottom of the first again as Andrew Prado led off with a hit by pitch on a full count and later scored from third base on the first hit of the game, a hard-hit, two-out RBI-single through the left side and off the third baseman's glove by Bernal.
• UTPB would add two more runs (both unearned) in the opening inning on an RBI-single to right center field by Alden Quintanilla and an RBI-groundout by Garcia.
• After a leadoff single and an errant pickoff throw at first base by Alexander moved the runner to third base, Cameron scored its first run of the game (unearned) on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning. Then after back-to-back walks followed by back-to-back swinging strikeouts to start the top of the fourth inning, Cameron got within one with an RBI-single to center field and then tied the game (3-3) when an errant throw by the catcher on a cut play at second base allowed the tying run to score from third base.
• Demetrius Deramus led off UTPB's half of the fourth inning with a triple to right field, but the Falcons were unable to get him home and retake the lead after a flyout to right field, a groundout on a bunt to first base, and a called strike three.
• After back-to-back two-out walks, Alexander stranded the go-ahead run on third base for Cameron in the top of the fifth inning.
• Then with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Bernal laced his third hit of the game (3-for-3) on a single to right field, and then Quintanilla followed with a triple off the wall down the left field line to put the Falcons back ahead (4-3). Quintanilla then scored on a wild pitch on the first pitch to the next batter to make it 5-3.
• Alexander was replaced to start the sixth inning and left with the lead after allowing three hits, three total runs, one earned run, four walks and six strikeouts in his five innings. It was the same number of total runs, walks and strikeouts allowed by Robles during his start in game one.
• However, back-to-back walks by the first relief pitcher for UTPB to start off the top of the sixth came back to bite the Falcons as a passed ball by another new pitcher put them both into scoring position, and then a double down the right field line brought both runners in, tying the game for a second time (5-5).
• Some bad luck then found the Falcons in the top of the seventh as a hit into the left field corner took a wicked bounce off the fence and bounced around Prado, allowing the batter, Kaleb Roberts, to go all the way to third with a one-out triple. Then a wild pitch on the first pitch to the next batter found Chavez's blind spot behind home plate and allowed Roberts to score what would go on to be the winning run for the Aggies (6-5).
• Despite being doubled up in the hit column (10-5) through seven innings, Cameron took advantage of seven walks by the UTPB pitching staff. The UTPB offense, meanwhile, did not draw a walk until the final inning.
• As the pressure mounted on the Falcons in the final two innings, a nicely-timed jump by the Aggies' third baseman, Ben Matthews, retired Deramus on a groundout to start off the bottom of the third inning. Deramus, like Bernal, had started the game 3-for-3.
• Down 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth and starting at the top of the order, Prado drew a four-pitch walk to lead things off. It was his team-leading 10th walk of the season.
• Joshua Estrada then came on to pinch run for Prado, and with a new pitcher on the mound, Estrada picked his spot perfectly and took off on the 0-2 pitch, stealing second base to put the tying run into scoring position for the Falcons.
• Jefcoats then grounded out to first base, but did his job of moving Estrada to third base with just one out for UTPB's No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in the lineup.
• However, after a groundout to second base behind the pitcher's mound by Chavez in which the Falcons did not elect to send Estrada to the plate, Bernal then hit a grounder to shortstop, a despite a bobble by the fielder and a dive by Bernal at first base, the throw was just in time to end the game.
• Despite pitching 3.2 innings in relief and allowing just three hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts, Jackson Markwood (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing the winning run in the top of the seventh.
• Offensively for UTPB, Bernal was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI-single to open the scoring in the first inning, Quintanilla was 2-for-4 with two RBI's on a single in the first inning and a go-ahead triple in the fifth, and Deramus was 3-for-4 with a triple as well.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB moves to 8-18 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference while Cameron moves to 9-16.

Series Combined Statistical Leaders:

• Gael Bernal hit .688 (11-16), led the team in hits and hit by pitches (3), was second on the team in RBI's (7), was tied for second in runs (7), and added two doubles. In all, he posted a .737 on-base percentage and a .813 slugging percentage.
• Carlos Chavez hit .533 (8-15), tied for the team lead in walks (3), was second in hits, was tied for second in runs (7), was third in RBI's (6), and added a double and a home run. He also had a .632 on-base percentage and a .800 slugging percentage.
• Demetrius Deramus hit .400 (6-15) with a double and a triple.
• Alden Quintanilla hit .400 (6-15), led the team with nine RBI's and three doubles, tied for the team lead with three walks, and added a triple.
• Daylon Jefcoats hit .375 (6-16) and led the team with eight runs scored and three stolen bases.
• On the mound, Zeke Alexander pitched five innings allowing three hits and one earned run (1.80 ERA) while striking out six, and Damian Robles earned a win after pitching 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs (3.38 ERA) and also striking out six. Santana Hernandez pitched five innings allowing two earned runs (3.60 ERA), and Timmy LaChappa earned a win while pitching a team-high six innings and allowing five runs (7.50 ERA).

 
Next Up: Next up, UT Permian Basin will play back-to-back series on the road for the only time this season. UTPB will first play at The University of Texas at Dallas March 20-22, followed by No. 17 The University of Texas at Tyler March 27-29.