ODESSA, Texas – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Baseball split a doubleheader at UT Permian Basin Saturday, winning game one, 8-5, before dropping the nightcap, 14-9.
UAFS will look to even the series in the finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
UAFS 8, UTPB 5
The Lions used a pair of four-run innings to down the Falcons in the first game of the day. They took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second and then added four insurance runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 8-3.
Shortstop Noah Davis led off the second with a double and quickly scored on an RBI single by designated hitter Kaleb Shaffer. Outfielder Hunter Church then delivered an RBI single of his own for a 2-0 lead as the Lions put together four consecutive hits. First baseman Nolan Riley and third baseman Brooks Sunny had RBI singles, as well.
UTPB chipped away with a single run in the second and two more in the fourth to pull within 4-3 against starter Brayden Johnson.
Riley and Sunny led off the fifth with a single and a hit by pitch, respectively, which followed by outfielder Cash Balentine connecting on his first homer of the season, a three-run blast to right. Shaffer would later walk and steal a base and score on an RBI single by catcher Trevor Brown for the fourth run of the inning.
The Falcons chased Johnson in the fifth, but he still earned the win after tossing 4.1 innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits to go with one strikeout.
UTPB scored a run off reliever Brayden Ross in the seventh before Dylan Rollins came in to get the final two outs to record the save.
Church, Riley and outfielder Kinner Brasher all recorded two hits for the Lions.
UTPB 14, UAFS 9
UTPB scored five runs in the first and seven in the fifth to split the doubleheader at Roden Field.
After the Falcons scored five runs in the first and added another in the second for a 6-0 lead, UAFS got a run back in the third on an RBI single by Riley. However, UTPB quickly answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Lions scored three times in the fifth to pull within 7-4 when Sunny drove in a pair on a triple and later scored on a sac fly by catcher Nico Patrick.
But the comeback effort was thwarted in the bottom of the fifth as the Falcons scored seven times to take a 14-4 lead. That didn't mean UAFS would give in that easily, thought.
UAFS cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth by scoring five times. The Lions scored their first run of the inning without a hit before Riley hit yet another RBI single. Sunny followed that up with a two-run double before Sunny capped the scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning.
Sunny and Riley combined to drive in six of the nine runs, with Sunny going 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Riley 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Each scored twice.
Starter Logan Grant suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits in four innings with three strikeouts.
