ODESSA, Texas (April 2, 2026) – The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team looks to try to win its first series of the season, and got off to a good start with wins of 3-2 and 5-0 over Sul Ross State University in a Thursday afternoon doubleheader at Roden Field. The Falcons won game one behind a complete-game starting pitching performance from Isaac Rodriguez and a walk-off single by Gael Bernal, and then won game two after a four-run second inning offensively combined with just four hits allowed by the UTPB pitching staff.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 3, SRSU 2):

• The game started with a hit by pitch on the very first pitch of the game by Rodriguez, and then back-to-back singles scored the first run of the game before the first out. After an errant pickoff throw put two runners in scoring position with one out, Rodriguez was able to limit the damage to just one run as he got a lineout to third base followed by a swinging strikeout.
• Daylon Jefcoats beat out a single to short to lead off the bottom of the first and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Bernal to tie the game (1-1), but like SRSU in the top half, UTPB left two runners on in the bottom half.
• Rodriguez settled in and tossed a 1-2-3 second inning, but that would not be the case for SRSU in the bottom half as Braeden Dyck led off with a home run to left field to put the Falcons in front (2-1).
• Joseph Binder delivered a leadoff single to left center field on the first pitch of the fourth inning. Fortunately, Rodriguez was up to the task, getting back-to-back flyout to Jefcoats in right field for the first two outs, and then after a wild pitch to put the runner on third, a flyout to Tanner Hedrick in center field ended the inning.
• Carlos Chavez made a nice play on a high-hopper to third base for the second out in the top of the fifth, and then a swinging strikeout for the third out stranded a one-out walk on second base and allowed Rodriguez to put up his fourth straight scoreless inning from the mound.
• Binder's second double in a row, this time down the left field line and just out of the reach of Chavez at third base, had SRSU threatening to tie the game with a runner on second and one out in the top of the sixth. A groundout to shortstop moved Binder to third base with two outs, and then on a high-chopper to second base, Alfonzo Lopez busted it down the left and dove head first to just beat out the throw from Marcos Castro, allowing Binder to score to tie the game (2-2).
• Needing to answer in the bottom half, Chavez led off with a single to left field and Castro bunted him over to second base with one out. Then on the first pitch to Dyck, he dropped in a single down the right field line, just out of the reach of the right fielder. Unfortunately, Chavez was unable to score on the hit, and then with two runners in scoring position and one out, the Falcons came up empty with a swinging strikeout followed by a flyout to center field.
• Catcher Jarren Lewis gunned down a runner trying to get into scoring position in the top of the seventh, and then Rodriguez got a flyout to Andrew Prado in left field to move the game to the bottom of the seventh.
• UTPB tried to win the game in the bottom of the seventh as Jefcoats led off with a hit by pitch, was bunted to second base by Prado, and moved to third base on a flyout to left field by Alden Quintanilla.
• With two outs and the winning run on third, Bernal sent the 1-0 pitch to center field, and a diving attempt by the fielder running in came up short as the single dropped in front of him and Jefcoats crossed the plate for the winning run.
• It was the second run of the game for Jefcoats.
• Dyck and Chavez were both 2-for-3.
• Rodriguez earned his first win of the season (1-0) during what was also his first start of the season. He finished with a complete-game victory, allowing seven hits, two runs, one walk and seven strikeouts while throwing 102 pitches across all seven innings.
• Both teams left six runners on base in the game.
• UTPB had just one more hit than SRSU (8-7), but it was the hit that mattered the most in the end.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 5, SRSU 0):

• After a one out single, starting pitcher Zeke Alexander got the runner caught in a pickoff to end the top of the first inning.
• In the bottom of the first, UTPB got a two-out single through the right side by Quintanilla. Then with a runner on first with two outs and facing a 2-2 count in the bottom of the first, Joshua Estrada put a good swing on it and perfectly placed a standup triple into the right field corner, scoring Quintanilla all the way from first base to open the scoring.
• A one-out hit by pitch was erased on a caught stealing at second base thrown from behind the plate by Cruz Garcia in the top of the second inning.
• For the second inning in a row, UTPB hit a standup triple, this time coming in the bottom of the second as Demetrius Deramus sent one to right center field and brought in two runs on the play.
• Jefcoats beat out a single to shortstop to score Deramus and make it 4-0 in the bottom of the second, and then stole second base before scoring on a single up the middle by Bernal to make it a 5-0 lead.
• Despite leaving the bases loaded, it was still a four-run second inning for the Falcons.
• Alexander pitched four innings allowing three hits, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts, and needed only 39 pitches to do so.
• Bernal made a great stop in the hole at short and made the throw from his knee to second base for the fielder's choice to record the second out in the top of the fifth, and then at third base, Chavez showed off both his range and his arm by making a play moving to his right and completing the throw to first base for the third out.
• Aidan Lopez made a leaping catch on a hard-hit liner at second base for the first out of the seventh inning, and then Bernal made a nice back-handed snag on a liner at short for the second out.
• Bernal made one last defensive highlight, charging in at short and delivering a strong throw to first base for the final out of the game.
• After Alexander, five Falcon relief pitchers pitched one inning each and limited the Lobos to just one hit and two walks over the final five innings.
• Bernal and Estrada were both 2-for-4 with an RBI for UTPB.
• Jefcoats also added two stolen bases, giving him a total of three steals and three runs scored on the afternoon.
• Both teams left six runners on base for the second game in a row.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB gets back into the win column and reaches the 10-win mark at 10-26 overall and 10-26 in the Lone Star Conference.
• The Falcons were coming off of back-to-back sweeps on the road at the hands of UT Dallas and UT Tyler, but have now snapped what was a nine-game losing streak.
• Sul Ross falls to 3-33.

 
Coach's Quote:

• Head Coach Justin Phillips said, "The pitching staff pitched with confidence and competed ahead in the zone – they gave us a chance all day. Now we have to execute on back-to-back days."

 
Next Up: The final two games of the series vs. Sul Ross will be at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, on Friday, April 3.