LAREDO, Texas (March 29, 2026) – The University of Texas Permian Basin softball team earned a Lone Star Conference win for the first time in its last seven conference series, a streak that started earlier this season against the Dustdevils, and ultimately split its series at Texas A&M International University. Jessica Cantrell was a force in the circle in game one, pitching all 10 innings while allowing four hits and just one earned run while also striking out 14 batters in a 6-3 win over TAMIU. However, after the Falcons scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to force extra innings in game one, they could not get anything going in game two as the Dustdevils rolled to a 9-1 win in just five innings.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 6, TAMIU 3):

• After a walk by Keri Sanford and a single to left field by Carlee Quintero to start off the game, UTPB stranded the two runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the first.
• In the second inning, however, UTPB did not waste a leadoff walk by Amathyst Gonzalez, who would move to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Kelsey Valo and then scored on an RBI-groundout to shortstop by Cantrell.
• It was again Sanford and Quintero getting on to start off the third inning, this time with back-to-back singles, but for the second time in the first three innings, both runners were stranded in scoring position.
• Despite UTPB leaving four runners in scoring position in the first three innings, Cantrell limited the Dustdevils' offense to just one hit and one walk with six strikeouts in three scoreless innings to start the game. Then after a leadoff walk, she got a popout double play doubling up the runner at first base to end the bottom of the fourth and put up another zero on the scoreboard.
• Unfortunately, after a dropped pop up at first base allowed a runner to reach with one out in the bottom of the fifth, the Dustdevils both got onto the scoreboard and took the lead with just one swing as Miley Vinton sent out a two-run home run to left center field.
• Two batters later, Austin Marriage homered to nearly the same spot at Vinton to make it a 3-1 Dustdevils' lead after five innings.
• After back-to-back one-out singles by Gonzalez and Valo, UTPB had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the top of the sixth with Valo representing the tying run at second base. However, a soft grounder to shortstop saw the fielder have to make a strong throw to first base to just barely beat the speedy Mia Serrato as UTPB stranded two runners in scoring position for the third time in the game.
• With the top of the order for the Falcons to start off the top of the seventh, Sanford nearly drove one down the left field line, but a nice catch on a lineout by Christen Mendez at third base instead resulted in the first out of the inning.
• After the first out, Quintero hit a bloop single to shallow left field, and the ball bounced off the left fielder, allowing Quintero to take an extra base and get into scoring position.
• Angelina Arriaga followed with a single just under the second baseman's glove and into right field, putting runners at the corners with one out.
• Ilyssa Foisy was the pinch runner at first base for Arriaga, and UTPB promptly loaded the bases as Alivia Robinson sent the first pitch she saw into the hole at shortstop and beat out the throw at first base.
• UTPB stayed alive as Gabriella Cabrera grounded it to shortstop, and the fielder, Sessy Moreno, stepped on second for the first out before trying to throw over to first base to record the game-ending double play. Instead, Moreno's throw was rushed and off target, allowing Quintero to score from third and Foisy to score from second to tie the game (3-3).
• With new life, the Falcons proceeded to load the bases for a second time in the seventh inning as Gonzalez, like Robinson earlier in the inning, singled to shortstop after just beating out the throw at first base, and then Valo drew the full-count walk to move the go-ahead run to third base.
• It was a great pitching performance for Nevaeh Herrera, but her start came to an end as the Dustdevils went to Celeste Apaez to try and get out of the bases-loaded jam, and she did just that as she got Cantrell to pop up to short.
• With two runners on and no outs for TAMIU in the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff single and a walk, Cantrell got a swinging strikeout for out number one, but then a hit by pitch put the winning one just one base away.
• Cantrell fell behind 3-1 to Moreno, but battled back to record back-to-back swings and misses to get out number two. It was clutch pitching by Cantrell as another ball would have ended the game.
• At 127 pitches after battling back to get the strikeout, Cantrell was able to get the game into extra innings as it took her just one pitch to get a flyout to Cabrera in right field.
• Cantrell was three-up, three-down in both the eighth and ninth innings, and then after a leadoff walk by Serrato in the top of the 10th, Sanford delivered a triple into the right center field gap to score Serrato and put the Falcons in front (4-3).
• Quintero followed with a single to right field, her fifth hit of the game, scoring Sanford as an insurance run, and then Quintero would later score on an RBI-single by Cabrera as UTPB extended its lead.
• Cantrell walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 10th, but bounced right back with a called strike three, a flyout to center field and a groundout to second base to end it.
• Cantrell (7-6) pitched all 10 innings, threw 160 pitches, and allowed four hits, three total runs, just on earned run and four walks to go along with 14 strikeouts.
• Quintero started the game with a hit in each of her first four at bats and finished 5-for-6 with two runs scored.
• Valo started 3-for-3 and finished 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and a sacrifice bunt.
• Gonzalez (3-for-5), Serrato (2-for-4) and Sanford (2-for-5) all drew a walk as well and reached base at least three times.
• In the end, UTPB stranded 12 runners in scoring position in the game, but outhit TAMIU 18-4.
• It was UTPB's most hits in a game since recording 20 hits in a 16-11 win on February 25, 2022, vs. Arlington Baptist University.
• In addition, Cantrell's 14 strikeouts were UTPB's most in a game since Destni Trahan had 14 strikeouts in eight innings in an 8-2 win on March 1, 2022, at the University of the Southwest (N.M.).

 
Game 2 (UTPB 1, TAMIU 9):

• TAMIU scored three runs on three hits and an error before an out was recorded in the bottom of the first.
• After scoring what would be the winning run for UTPB on Sanford's triple in game one, Serrato tripled home Foisy for the Falcons' only run in game two in the top of the third inning.
• After the quick start by the Dustevils, Presley Crawford came in to pitch and settled things down, getting out of the first inning without allowing any more runs and then putting up a 1-2-3 second inning. She allowed just one walk with zero hits over her first two innings.
• However, TAMIU added two runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to secure the win. A leadoff walk and a two-run home run by the very next batter, Queenandra Dunn, allowed the Dustdevils to get to Crawford in the bottom of the third, and then Dunn's second two-run home run in as many innings made it 7-1 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
• With two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the fifth, back-to-back errors at short allowed the final two runs to score and end the game early.
• After 18 hits in game one, UTPB was held to just three hits in game two and made just as many errors as it had hits.
• For TAMIU, Dunn powered the offense with a monster performance, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI's while Kylie Goad (4-11) delivered a complete-game effort in the circle, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five over five innings.

 
Team Records:

• With only its second win over TAMIU since the end of the 2015 season, UTPB moves to 12-19 overall and 3-17 in the Lone Star Conference.
• The win in game two was TAMIU's (9-24, 5-15 LSC) first win at home this season (1-11).

 
Coach's Quote:

• UTPB Head Softball Coach David Martinez said, "Today was about putting the ball in play. In game one we did it, and in game two we did not. We practice putting the ball in playing and try to force the other team to have to make a play or make an error, and that is what happened in the seventh inning in game one. The team showed that it can bounce back, and it shows that we are putting what we have practiced into an actual game. Jess, Lina and Coach Brooke worked together in game one and had a great game plan. Jess attacked the zone quick and was able to work ahead in the count for most of the game. Meanwhile, our offense did a good job of being patient and swinging at the pitches that we wanted to and not at what the pitchers wanted us to chase. It was just a total team effort from the dugout, to the offense, to the defense, everyone was backing each other up and believing in each other. Game two, it was just one those games when after you play like we did in game one, it is hard to come back in game two. It took a lot out of us after that first game. We saw that when we played 10 innings against Kingsville earlier in the season. We will take the split today, go home, and get ready for a quick turnaround against Angelo State."

Next Up: To begin the second half of Lone Star Conference action, UTPB will take on No. 10 Angelo State University twice next week, starting at home at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, and then on the road at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 3.