ODESSA, Texas (April 3, 2026) – Looking to finish off its first series win of the 2026 season, The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team scored 18 runs in both games and won 18-5 in game one and 18-13 in game two against Sul Ross State University on Friday at Roden Field.

UTPB's 18 runs in both games were a season-high, while it 22 hits in game two were the most in two seasons under the direction of Head Coach Justin Phillips.

Game 1 (UTPB 18, SRSU 5):

• UTPB put up a five-spot in the bottom of the second, capped off by a two-run home run to left center by Daylon Jefcoats.
• After having to battle to leave a runner on third base in the top of the first inning, Timmy LaChappa (2-6) responded by tossing a 1-2-3 second inning and then getting a 6-4-3 double play to face the minimum in the third inning.
• LaChappa limited the Lobos to two hits and one walk in three scoreless innings to start the game.
• After leading off with a single through the left side and scoring the first run of the game in the second inning, Joshua Estrada walked with one out, stole second base, and then scored the first run of the third inning on an RBI-single through the left side by Carlos Chavez.
• The game got out of hand in the bottom of the fourth inning as UPTB added five runs before the first out. The Falcons scored two runs when on an errant throw by the catcher trying to throw behind Jefcoats at third base allowed two runners to score. Then with the bases loaded, they added a run on a hit by pitch and scored two runs on a pair of wild pitches.
• In all for the bottom of the fourth, UTPB sent 13 batters to the plate against three different pitchers and scored nine runs on two hits, seven walks, three wild pitches, and two errors.
• UTPB finished the game with 18 runs on 13 hits, 11 walks (season-high), five wild pitches and four SRSU errors.
• Jefcoats and Chavez were both 2-for-3 with two RBI's and three runs scored.
• Gael Bernal and Estrada both walked twice and scored a pair of runs.
• LaChappa allowed three hits, one run and three walks in four innings pitched before giving way to the bullpen.
• Zachary Dobson and Solomon James combined to hold the Lobos hitless with one walk over the final 2.1 innings.

Game 2 (UTPB 18, SRSU 13):

• SRSU scored first with no outs in the top of the first as the game started with a hit by pitch, a steal of second base, and an RBI-double to left center field.
• Jaecob Arnott regrouped to strand that runner on third base, and then UTPB responded with four runs in the bottom half.
• With Jefcoats on second base after a sacrifice bunt by Estrada, Bernal singled through the left side and Jefcoats just beat the throw home to score the first run for the Falcons.
• Then with the bases loaded, Andrew Prado hit a high-chopper up the middle that was just over the pitcher and just out of the reach of the second baseman, scoring two runners on the play, and then Braeden Dyck followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to wrap up the inning.
• Arnott walked the bases loaded in the second inning before leaving the game due to an injury, and then a wild pitch by the new arm, Samuel Skipper (1-0), scored a run for the Lobos (down 4-2).
• Skipper then put up a clean 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third, and in the bottom half, UTPB broke the game open.
• In its half of the third, UTPB loaded the bases with nobody out after three straight singles by Chavez, Cruz Garcia and Prado.
• Dyck and Hudson Mitchell smacked the fourth and fifth straight singles for UTPB to open the inning, both times singling to center field to score a run.
• The sixth straight hit to open the inning was a two-run double down the right field line by Demetrius Deramus.
• After giving one a ride on a deep flyout to left field in his last at bat, Estrada almost sent one out to the opposite field, smacking a double off the fence in right field, UTPB's second two-run double of the inning.
• That made it eight straight Falcons reaching base in the inning.
• The third two-run double of the third inning for UTPB came courtesy of Chavez, the man who started the inning with a base knock, and then Dyck one-hopped one to the fence in right field for the fourth two-run double of the inning.
• Just one batter later, Mitchell sent one down the right field line for the Falcons' fifth RBI-double of the inning.
• In all, it was a 12-hit, 12 run third inning for UTPB featuring 17 batters.
• Sul Ross had eight runs on just four hits through the first six innings, but doubled its hit total with four hits in the top of the seventh inning. That inning was highlighted by an inside-the-park home run to right center field that got by the diving Estrada running from center field and scored a pair of runs, cutting the Lobos' deficit to 17-10 .
• UTPB had 17 runs on 18 hits through the first four innings, but was held to just one run on three hits over the next three innings as Sul Ross kept the game going.
• Things began to get hairy as SRSU cut it to a five-run game (18-13) and had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the eighth, but Santana Hernandez escaped the inning as a nice pick at first base by Dyck on the throw by Marcos Castro from short got the Falcons out of it.
• With two outs and a runner on first and Damian Robles on to finish off the sweep in the ninth, Estrada got a great jump and made a running catch deep in left center field to end the game.
• In all, SRSU outscored UTPB 11-2 over the final six innings of the game.
• The Falcons threw nine different arms in the game, with nobody throwing more than the starter (1.2 innings).
• Jefcoats was 4-for-5, Chavez was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, Garcia was 3-for-4 with four runs scored, Prado was 3-for-4 with three RBI's, and Dyck was 2-for-5 with four RBI's.
• Seven different Falcons hit a double in game two.
• UTPB also stole four bases in both games on Friday (8 steals by 6 Falcons), led by Jefcoats with three.

 
Team Records:

• With its first series win of the season under its belt, UTPB improves to 12-26 both overall and in the Lone Star Conference. SRSU falls to 3-35 both overall and in the LSC.
• As of today, the Falcons are currently three wins out of ninth place in the LSC standings.

Coach's Quote:

• Head Coach Justin Phillips said, "I am proud of our guys, they played with confidence and fight all in one. We need to finish the season playing like that."

 
Series Combined Statistical Leaders:

• In all for the four-game series, UTPB finished with 44 runs, 52 hits, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs, 13 extra-base hits, 71 total bases, 36 RBI's, 18 walks, five hit by pitches, and a .403 batting average.
• Carlos Chavez hit .583 (7-12) with six runs scored and posted a .643 on base-percentage.
• Daylon Jefcoats hit .571 (8-14); led the team in hits, runs (8), steals (5), on-base percentage (.667) and slugging percentage (.857); and hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season. He also got on base with a hit by pitch and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh in UTPB's game-one walk-off win.
• Braeden Dyck hit .500 (7-14), led the team with six RBI's, and became the fifth Falcon with at least two home runs on the season.
• Andrew Prado hit .455 (5-11) and was second on the team with five RBI's.
• Joshua Estrada (.444 avg., 4 hits, 4 runs, 3 RBI's, 3 walks) posted a .615 on-base percentage.
• Gael Bernal (.333 AVG, 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 RBI's, 3 walks, .438 OBP) had the game-winning hit and RBI in UTPB's game-one walk-off win.
• Isaac Rodriguez earned his first win of the season during what was also his first start of the season, finishing with a complete-game victory in game one of the series after throwing 102 pitches and allowing just two runs and one walk.
• Zeke Alexander pitched four innings allowing no runs and no walks in game two, and Timmy LaChappa earned a win with four innings pitched in his start in game three.
• 11 Falcon pitchers (Kade Adams, Zeke Alexander, Aidan Becker, Zachary Dobson, Santana Hernandez, Solomon James, Jackson Markwood, Damian Robles, Christian Rodriguez, Samuel Skipper, Alex Thrasher) pitched at least an inning without allowing a run.

Next Up: Next up, UT Permian Basin heads to Oklahoma to battle Oklahoma Christian University in a four-game set. Game one is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10.