PORTALES, N.M. (March 7, 2026) – After suffering a 13-5 defeat in game one of the series on Friday, the UT Permian Basin baseball team snapped a six-game losing streak with a 12-4 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Eastern New Mexico University. However, with an opportunity to earn the doubleheader sweep in game two and set themselves up for their first series win of the season, the Falcons instead suffered an 8-7 loss after a walk-off double by the Greyhounds to end the night.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 12, ENMU 4):

• UTPB would score at least three runs in three straight innings beginning in the third to take control of the game.
• Making his first start since February 21 at St. Edward's University, Andrew Prado announced his return to the lineup with a leadoff single in the first inning and a leadoff home run in the third inning.
• UTPB scored a run in the first inning for the second game in a row vs. ENMU, doing so this time just two batters into the game as Prado led off the day with a single up the middle and then scored from first on an RBI-double to left field by Daylon Jefcoats.
• After back-to-back one-out singles for ENMU in the bottom half of the first, starting pitcher Damian Robles (4-1) was able to strand two runners in scoring position. Then a caught stealing at second base helped Robles face just three batters in the second inning.
• That led to the big inning for UTPB in the top of the third as after Prado led off with a home run to right field to make it a 2-0 lead, Jefcoats would single through the left side. The Falcons would get four more RBI-hits in the inning, starting with a single to right center field by Gael Bernal and a double down the right field line by Cruz Garcia on back-to-back at bats. UTPB would again get back-to-back RBI-hits with a single chopped to third base by Demetrius Deramus followed by a triple down the left field line by Marcos Castro, capping the five-run inning.
• It was again Prado leading off the top of the fourth, drawing a walk this time before Jefcoats' third hit in as many at bats, a single to third base, put two runners on with nobody out. After a wild pitch put both runners into scoring position, Carlos Chavez brought them both home with a two-RBI double to left field. Then in the fifth inning after a leadoff infield single by Castro, walks by Prado and Chavez loaded the bases for Bernal, who came through with a two-run single through the left side.
• UTPB would finish with 16 hits as a team, its second most this season, and enough to double up ENMU in the hit column. Prado was 2-for-4 with four runs scored, two walks and a home run. Jefcoats was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI-double. Bernal was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI's, including two RBI-singles. Garcia was 2-for-4 with an RBI-double and an RBI-single. Lastly, Castro was 3-for-3 with an RBI-triple.
• Robles was not perfect, but it was a good enough performance to get the win as he allowed seven hits, four total runs, just one earned run, and three walks in five innings.
• After back-to-back groundouts to start the inning, Shawn George worked around back-to-back hit by pitches with two outs to work a scoreless bottom of the sixth. Then after allowing a walk and a single to start off the bottom of the seventh, Sebastian Lozoya got three straight strikeouts to close out the win.
• All five of UTPB's wins so far this season have come in a game in which Robles has started.
• "We finally put together all phases of the game – resulting in a victory," said Head Coach Justin Phillips. "Robles had another quality start – our pen shut the door – and our offense played extremely well."

 
Game 2 (UTPB 7, ENMU 8):

• What started out as a high-scoring affair instead saw six straight scoreless half innings heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
• Tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh, Santana Hernandez (0-4) was seemingly rolling, getting two quick outs, but after a two-out single through the left side by Gabriel Watson, Salomon Lluveres sent the first pitch he saw into the left center field gap, and it was perfectly placed as Watson came all the way around from first base to score the walk-off run.
• UTPB scored in each of the first four innings and overcame some pitching woes early in the game.
• UTPB again scored in the first inning after the game started with the third walk of the day by Prado. That was followed by a ground-rule double to left center field by Jefcoats. Then with the bases loaded and one out, an RBI-walk by Garcia opened the scoring and was followed by a sacrifice fly to left field by Braeden Dyck.
• Starting pitcher Alex Thrasher struggled with his command in the bottom half of the first, throwing balls on nine of his first 10 pitches and walking the first two batters of the game for ENMU, ultimately allowing the Greyhounds to match UTPB's two-run first inning.
• Prado gave the Falcons back the lead (3-2) with an RBI-groundout in the top of the second inning.
• Thrasher walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second, and then after back-to-back two-out walks by the new Falcon pitcher, Jaecob Arnott, scored a run to tie the game (3-3), the Greyhounds' Jake Willerup forced Arnott to throw strikes and took advantage with a bases-clearing, three-run double down the left field line, giving ENMU its first lead of the day (6-3). Back-to-back walks by Arnott again loaded the bases, but this time Sebastian Cabral came in to pitch and got a swinging strikeout to limit the damage and keep UTPB in the game.
• It was a pivotal moment for Cabral and the Falcons as UTPB was able to keep its offensive flow going over the next two innings.
• A leadoff walk by Chavez in the top of the third was followed by a wild pitch to move him to second base, and a single up the middle by Bernal scored him from second base. Then after an error and a passed ball put Bernal on third base with one out, an RBI-double by Dyck made it a one-run game (6-5).
• Five of UTPB's first six batters in the top of the fourth recorded a hit, with the other being a sacrifice fly. The inning started with back-to-back singles by Prado and Jefcoats, and then after a sacrifice fly to center field by Chavez, a single by Bernal was followed by an RBI-double by Garcia to tie the game at 7-7.
• Bernal was 3-for-3 to start the game, and then a nice play by Bernal on a chopper to shortstop stranded the go-ahead runner for ENMU on second base in the bottom of the fifth.
• Cabral allowed six hits, one run, one walk and three strikeouts in his 4.1 innings of work, getting a lineout to Dyck at first base to leave two runners on in the bottom of the sixth and move the game into the seventh still tied at 7-7.
• Offensively for the Falcons, Prado scored twice and walked twice during game two, giving him six runs and four walks batting from the top spot in the order in both games.
• Jefcoats was 2-for-3 and for the second game in a row had two runs scored.
• Bernal was 3-for-4 and Dyck was 2-for-3 with two RBI's on a sacrifice fly and a double.
• The Falcons had three doubles in both games on Saturday.
• "Cabral was the highlight on the mound as he put up several zeros that gave us a chance to stay in the game," said Phillips. "They got the timely hit in the last inning, and we did not. We have to come back tomorrow and split the series."

 
Team Records:

• UTPB's record moves to 5-16 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference while ENMU's moves to 6-15.

The fourth and final game of the series between UTPB and ENMU will start at 2 p.m. Central Time / 1 p.m. Mountain Time on Sunday, March 8, from Portales, New Mexico.