ODESSA, Texas (April 17, 2026) – Despite taking a two-run lead into the seventh inning, The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team fell by two runs, 7-5, against No. 17 St. Mary's University in what was the first game of the Falcons' final homestand of the 2026 season.

The top of the first inning started with back-to-back throwing errors at third base as StMU finished the inning with two runs, two hits, two errors and two runners left on base.

A pair of doubles down the left field line, the first a leadoff double and the second coming with one out, led to a run to make it 3-0 Rattlers in the third inning, but a great one-hopper thrown from center fielder Joshua Estrada to catcher Cruz Garcia ended the inning with a runner thrown out at home.

Gael Bernal singled to left field in each of his first two at bats, including a one-out single in the bottom of the third. UTPB (12-31 overall, 12-31 Lone Star Conference) would go on to get a runner to third base with less than two outs for the second inning in a row, but this time the Falcons were able to cash in as a walk by Alden Quintanilla loaded the bases with one out for Estrada. Estrada hit a perfectly placed single into no man's land in right center field, scoring Bernal to get the Falcons on the board (down 3-1), but then a 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch on the next at bat brought an abrupt end to the inning.

A popout double play on a bunt by the Rattlers helped Santana Hernandez face the minimum in the top of the fourth inning.

With the Falcons looking to capitalize on their momentum in the bottom half of the fourth, Demetrius Deramus banged a leadoff double off the wall down the left field line. Garcia followed with a single to center field and advanced to second base on the throw home, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Braeden Dyck then brought them both home to tie the game (3-3) as he delivered a two-run single on the ground just past the first baseman and down the right field line.

Two batters later, Bernal barreled one up and got all of it, sending a two-run homer to left field to put the Falcons in front (5-3).

UTPB would finish with four runs on six hits in the fourth inning, and did it despite only sending eight batters to the plate.

With the bases loaded and two outs after back-to-back walks in the top of the fifth, Hernandez got ahead 0-2 in the count, and then a lineout to Dyck at third base ended the inning.

Sebastian Cabral then pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, but a two-out, two run double down the right field line, the fifth double of the game for the Rattlers, tied it in the top of the seventh.

Timmy LaChappa (2-8) came in to pitch in a tie ballgame in the top of the eighth, but got himself into trouble with back-to-back walks to start off the inning, and then a bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out as the Rattlers turned over the order.

LaChappa's very next pitch was sent through the left side by Blake Allen, scoring two runners to put the Rattlers ahead by two runs (7-5) after UTPB had led by two just one inning ago.

A great 6-3 groundball double play by Bernal at short helped LaChappa get out of the eighth inning, but an even better play by StMU's second baseman, Ashton Beaird, ended the bottom of the eighth as he made a sliding catch in foul territory behind first base.

Leading off the top of the ninth, Bernal drew a hit by pitch. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch in five plate appearances.

UTPB seemed to have the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the ninth, but a replay review overturned a safe call at third base into a tag out on the throw from center field to end the game.

"We played good baseball today," spoke UTPB Head Baseball Coach Justin Phillips. "We had some really good moments in all phases of the game, we just have to finish games."

After UTPB took the lead in the fourth inning, Joel Burgess (5-1) came in to pitch for StMU in the bottom of the fifth and proceeded to limit the Falcons to no runs on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts over the next four innings.

Similar to last year's 6-3 loss in game one of the series at St. Mary's, UTPB played a well-rounded, competitive game.

St. Mary's (33-10, 33-10) wins its eighth straight game, its longest winning streak since 2019, and remains in second place in the LSC standings. The Rattlers come into the weekend with six straight series wins under their belts, and have only lost one of their 11 series so far this season (has not lost a series since February 27-March 1 vs. Angelo State). The Rattlers are ranked No. 17 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Poll and are third in the NCBWA South Central Region Poll.

UTPB's final home doubleheader of the season will be at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, April 18, from Roden Field.