TYLER, Texas (March 27, 2026) – The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team scored twice in the top of the first, but had no answers for the Patriots' offense as the Falcons gave up 23 unanswered runs and fell 23-2 in seven innings in game one at No. 18 The University of Texas at Tyler.

It was a long first inning (over 30 minutes) as the two teams combined for seven runs.

UTPB scored twice in its half of the first inning as Demetrius Deramus led off the game with a walk and Daylon Jefcoats followed with a double down the right field line to put two runners into scoring position with nobody out. Then with one out, a wild pitch scored Deramus before Bernal singled to right center to score Jefcoats.

However, a leadoff home run to left field by Connor Clark got UT Tyler started in the bottom of the first as Clark wasted little time before sending the 1-0 pitch out of the park. In addition to starting off with a home run, Clark would later steal two bases in the game to set the Patriots' single-season record with 23 stolen bases.

Then three straight walks followed by an RBI on a hit by pitch tied the game, still with nobody out, and set up a big inning for the Patriots. UT Tyler would take the lead with a two-run single hit to the base of the fence in center field, about as far as you can hit it without hitting a home run, by Cole Ketzner. After back-to-back strikeouts to nearly get the Falcons out of the inning, an errant pickoff throw at second base allowed the fifth and final run of the inning to score for the Patriots (up 5-2). In all, UT Tyler brought nine batters to the plate in the first inning, but scored its five runs on just two hits.

UTPB loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second, but for the second inning in a row, the Patriots would able to get out of trouble with a double-play ball.

While the UTPB offense failed to take full advantage of its early opportunities, UT Tyler scored at least two runs in every inning and had at least three runs in five of its six offensive innings.

The Patriots sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning and had seven batters in the third inning while scoring three runs in both innings, going up 13-2. After nearly taking one out to center field in the bottom of the first, Ketzner came up with a leadoff homer to center in the bottom of the fourth.

Marcos Castro had a hit in his first two at bats for UTPB on a bunt single in the second inning and a leadoff single to left in the fifth inning. However, a strike-him-out, throw-him-out to end the top of the fifth stranded Castro on third base and represented the third double play of the game by the Patriots' defense.

A rough start to the bottom of the fifth on a full-count walk, a stolen base, another full-count walk, a wild pitch, and a hit by pitch on a full count loaded the bases with no outs for UT Tyler, and two batters later the Patriots hit a grand slam home run to center field to make the score 17-2.

UT Tyler had 17 runs on 11 hits, seven walks and four hit batters through the first five innings. However, UT Tyler's highest-scoring inning came in the sixth as the Patriots brought up 11 batters and scored six runs on six hits.

In the end, UT Tyler finished with 23 runs on 17 hits, including four home runs, and drew eight walks and five hit by pitches.

After Castro's second hit of the game in the fifth inning, Deramus walked for the second time. In addition to Castro's two hits and Deramus' two walks, Bernal had both a hit and a walk for the Falcons, and also had the team's lone RBI.

This is UTPB's second series in a row playing against one of the three teams currently tied for first place in the Lone Star Conference standings.

UTPB (8-23 overall, 8-23 Lone Star Conference ) came into the weekend with a record of 4-11 both at home and on the road while UT Tyler (23-8, 23-28) was 11-4 both at home and on the road. The Patriots have now won seven straight series openers and have scored at least 20 runs in each of their last two openers. The Patriots are currently ranked No. 18 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Poll and are third in the NCBWA South Central Region Poll.

The 2025 season marked a historic breakthrough for the Patriots as UT Tyler finished 49-13 overall and 40-8 in Lone Star Conference play, setting a new school record for wins. The Patriots surged through the NCAA postseason as UT Tyler went unbeaten in both the Regional and Super Regional rounds, captured the South Central Super Regional title, and earned the program's first-ever berth to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, North Carolina.

To start the 2026 season, the Patriots were selected as the preseason favorites to capture their first Lone Star Conference title. Nationally, UT Tyler was ranked No. 4 in both the ABCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll and the D2 Baseball Preseason Poll, and slotted No. 3 in the NCBWA preseason rankings.

Games two and three of the series between UTPB and UT Tyler will be at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, March 28, during UT Tyler's Alumni Day on a chilly and windy day at Irwin Field.