ODESSA, Texas (April 18, 2026) – After playing one of its better games of the season against the No. 17-ranked team in the country the day before, back-to-back home runs by Daylon Jefcoats and Alden Quintanilla in the first inning set the tone for a great game one as the UT Permian Basin baseball team defeated No. 17 St. Mary's University 17-6. In game two, the two teams battled to an 8-8 score going into the final inning, but the Falcons came up short by a final of 9-8 to split their final home doubleheader of the 2026 season.

The teams would combine for eight home runs in game one on Saturday, but no one was better than Jefcoats, who hit a two-run home run in each of the first two innings and wrapped up the scoring with a grand slam in the sixth inning to finish the game with three home runs and eight RBI's.

Both Jefcoats' home run and RBI totals were a new UTPB record for a single game. In addition, Jefcoats is now tied for seventh in program history for home runs in a season (9).

As a team, UTPB's five home runs in game one are tied for the second most in program history.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 17, StMU 6):

• After reaching base in all five at bats on Friday, Gael Bernal led off on Saturday with a single to left field in the bottom of the first.
• Two pitches later, Jefcoats hit a no-doubter over the wall in left center field to stake the Falcons to an early 2-0 lead.
• Then just four pitches into the next at bat, Quintanilla made it back-to-back jacks by crushing a solo shot to right field.
• UTPB proceeded to load the bases with one out as Carlos Chavez (single to left), Cruz Garcia (hit by pitch) and Andrew Prado (full-count walk) all reached in succession.
• That forced the first pitching change of the day for the Rattlers, and after a wild pitch scored Chavez, Braeden Dyck scored Garcia with a full-count RBI-single to right field to make it a five-run first inning for the Falcons, who finished the inning with five hits and two home runs and sent nine batters to the plate.
• Isaac Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 top of the first inning, and then after allowing a leadoff home run followed by back-to-back singles in the top of the second, he bounced back with three straight outs.
• Déjà vu occurred in the bottom of the second inning as Bernal led off with a single to left and was followed by a two-run home run to left by Jefcoats, making it 7-1 Falcons.
• UTPB started its half of the third inning with four straight singles by Garcia, Prado, Dyck (RBI-single) and Marcos Castro (RBI bunt-single), and then a sacrifice fly to left field by Bernal scored Dyck to get the Falcons to double digits (up 10-2).
• UTPB scored at least two runs in each of the first three innings.
• Solomon James pitched a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning and left runners on the corners in a scoreless sixth inning.
• Demetrius Deramus tattooed a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the sixth, and then the seven-run inning was capped off by a grand slam to left field by Jefcoats, his third home run and the Falcons' fifth homer of the game.
• Matching Jefcoats with three hits in the game was Chavez and Dyck, who were both 3-for-4.
• Matching Jefcoats with three runs scored was Bernal and Garica.
• No one would match Jefcoats in the RBI department.
• Multiple runs were scored in each inning but the fifth as the two teams combined to score 23 runs on 30 hits with no errors.
• UTPB's 17 runs tied for its third-highest total of the season while its 19 hits tied for its second most.
• Also, with five home runs and four doubles, the Falcons set a season-high with nine extra-base hits, a number they almost reached again in the next game.
• Rodriguez (2-0) picked up the win after allowing seven hits, four runs and one walk in the first four innings.
• It was the first loss this season for StMU's starting pitcher, Derek Maples (4-1), who lasted only one-third of an inning and gave up five runs.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 8, StMU 9):

• After a hit by pitch to lead off the game and a two-out RBI-single gave StMU the first run of the game in the top of the first, UTPB tied it in the bottom half as Quintanilla singled to center field with two outs and then scored on an RBI-double to right center by Deramus. Quintanilla took a chance trying to score all the way from first, but the throw bounced away from the catcher as Quintanilla ran by. However, the Falcons would strand the go-ahead run, Deramus, on third base.
• Another hit by pitch for StMU, this time with one out in the top of the second, led to a three-run inning on a pair of RBI-doubles.
• All three of StMU's hits in the first two innings were RBI-hits.
• Trying to provide a spark for the Falcons down three runs in his first at bat of the day, Joshua Estrada tripled to left center field with one out in the bottom of the second, speeding around the bases and diving in headfirst to beat the throw at third. Then just one pitch later, Dyck homered to left field to make it a one-run deficit (4-3).
• That was followed by back-to-back doubles by Castro and Bernal to the right center and left center field gaps, tying the game at 4-4.
• Then with two outs and Bernal on third base following a flyout to right field by Jefcoats, Quintanilla singled him home with a single up the middle to put UTPB in front (5-4).
• For the second inning in a row, Quintanilla scored all the way from first on an RBI-double to right center by Deramus, wrapping up a five-run, six-hit second inning for the Falcons to take a two-run lead (6-4).
• Although it was a different pitcher, UTPB hit a batter to lead off an inning for the second time in the first three innings, and after another hit by pitch to score a run, Kade Adams was able to hold the Rattlers to one run and leave the bases loaded.
• After Adams struck out the first two Rattlers in the top of the fourth, StMU drew a hit by pitch for the fourth inning in a row, and then a second straight hit by pitch made it six hit by pitches for StMU in the first four innings of the game.
• A walk by Adams loaded the bases with two outs still in the top of the fourth, and the Falcons went to Jackson Markwood to try and get out of the jam. Clinging to a one-run lead, Markwood was not up to the task, giving up a bases-clearing double to left center field to the No. 9-hitter, Matt Mendez.
• Thanks to six hit by pitches and six walks, StMU scored eight runs on just four hits through the first four innings, and led 8-6.
• After a one-out triple ignited a big inning for the Falcons in the second inning, a one-out triple to right center by Garcia got UTPB started in the fifth inning. Two batters after the triple, Dyck delivered an RBI-single through the left side and Estrada displayed his speed by going first to third on the play, putting the tying run at third base with one out.
• UTPB was able to capitalize as Castro bunted it to first base, and Estrada scored as the flip home flew over the catcher, tying the game at 8-8.
• However, a strikeout would strand two Falcons in scoring position, and later UTPB also left the go-ahead run on third after another strikeout in the bottom of the sixth.
• Through five innings, StMU had 11 runners left on base compared to six for the Falcons.
• Thanks to a catch at the wall in right field by Jefcoats for out number two and a running catch down the left field line by Deramus for the final out, Sebastian Lozoya put up a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning.
• StMU still had just four hits going into the final inning, compared to five doubles and eight extra-base hits by the Falcons, but a leadoff triple to the wall in right center field on a 2-2 pitch by Dillon Lopez quickly put the go-ahead run just 90 feet away for the Rattlers in the top of the seventh.
• Two batters later, a sacrifice fly to left field by Ryan Alaniz did the job of scoring Lopez from third base.
• A nice catch by Estrada running back in center field stranded two more Rattlers in scoring position, keeping it a one-run deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh.
• On the first at bat in the bottom of the seventh, Estrada sent one to short and raced down the line to try and beat it out, causing an errant throw to put the leadoff man on base.
• Unfortunately, a sacrifice bunt attempt by Dyck did not work as he bunted it right back to the pitcher, who turned and threw to second base to retire the lead runner and keep the Falcons from getting the tying run into scoring position for the time being.
• With one out, UTPB still opted for the sacrifice bunt, and despite falling behind 0-2, Castro got it down and successfully moved the pinch runner, Tanner Hedrick, into scoring position. It was the second sac bunt of the game for Castro.
• After an intentional wak to Bernal, it was all on the shoulders of Jefcoats with two outs, but after a three home run performance in game one, he grounded out to the pitcher to end the game and finished 0-for-5 in game two.
• The nightcap saw five lead changes, and the Rattlers took advantage of free bases as they were walked nine times and hit by a pitch another six times to help score nine runs on only six hits.
• Bernal (RBI-double, walk), Quintanilla (2 runs, walk), Deramus (2 RBI-doubles) and Dyck (3 RBI's, 2-run home run) all had two hits for UTPB.
• The Falcons doubled up the Rattlers in the hit column (12-6), and finished with eight extra-base hits (5 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run) after nine in the previous game.
• Lozoya (1-4) allowed just two hits, one run and one walk in the final 2.2 innings, but would be tagged with the loss.
• UTPB got to StMU's best starting pitcher, Gabe Cook, to the tune of eight hits and six runs allowed in two innings. Cook entered the game with a record of 6-0.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB's record moves to 13-32 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference while StMU's moves to 34-11.
• The game-one loss was the end of an eight-game winning streak for StMU.
• Just like last year when UTPB won the first game of the doubleheader at StMU, the Rattlers have only lost one series all season, a streak that was put in jeopardy until the final inning of game two on Saturday.

 
Coach's Quote:

• UTPB Head Coach Justin Phillips said, "Daylon has been a staple in our lineup all year; he had a big game. In addition, our pitching staff gave us a chance again in both games. I am proud of the way our guys competed all day today. We have to find a way to win tomorrow."

 
Next Up: UTPB's Senior Day game will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, from Odessa, Texas.