USW Baseball welcomed NCAA Division 2 opponent and neighbor to the East, University of Texas-Permian Basin Falcons to Hobbs, America on Monday for a mid-week non-conference game. This was the second meeting between the two teams as the Falcons edged out the Mustangs on February 12th by the score of 4-3. Both games had very similar box scores and results as both visiting teams jumped out to leads in the very first inning, but saw those leads slip away as the game went on. 

Nick Martinez got the start on the mound for the Mustangs. This was Martinez's second start of the season with the previous being a 2-0 loss to Wayland Baptist on March 19th. Martinez battled through a tough strike zone and some tough plays behind him to earn his first career college victory. The sophomore went 5 innings allowing 5 hits, 4 earned runs while punching out 4 Falcon hitters. Martinez ran into trouble in the first when he allowed all 4 of his earned runs via walk and infield singles allowing the Falcons to jump out to a 4-0 lead. But that was the end of the Falcons offensive output for the game as Martinez, Axel Arrieta and David Flores held the Falcons scoreless for the final 8 innings. This happened earlier in the season when the Mustangs jumped out to a 3-0 lead on UTPB and failed to score for the final 8 innings. Axel Arrieta came in to relieve Martinez in the 6th inning with two runners on base. Arrieta got a bunt pop-out, strikeout and groundout to third base to hold the Falcon runners on base and escape the jam. Arrieta would throw up goose eggs in the 7th & 8th innings which allowed for Mustang closer David Flores to come in for the save in the 9th inning. 

Despite the 4-0 deficit after the top of the 1st inning, the Mustang offense was never deterred and scratched their way back into the game thanks to some clutch two-out hits and timely walks. Tariq Levesque led the offensive charge by going 3-3 at the plate with 3 runs scored, 1 double and 1 walk. Levesque hit a grand slam earlier in the season against the Falcons, but only recorded 3 runs due to overrunning the baserunner in front of him. Bobby Galindo reached based in 4 of 5 at-bats thanks to 4 walks issued to him. It came on the day that Galindo was named the RRAC Player of the Week for the Week of April 1-7. Christian Pimentel despite not recording a hit, drove in 3 runs thanks to two Falcon errors that allowed for runners to score. The Mustangs took the lead in the bottom of the 5th when Pimentel laced a ball at the UTPB 2nd basemen that he misplayed and allowed for Galindo and Levesque to come around to score. Jake Wyly came up with a clutch pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 8th to push the Mustang lead to 6-4 and give them some extra cushion heading to the top of the 9th. 

"It's always nice to win a midweek game" said Head Coach Steve Appel. " There were definitely some good things that occurred today. However there were also some teachable scenarios that we took away from today. We had some good energy today and our arms kept us in the ballgame. I'm happy to see Nick (Martinez) get his 1st collegiate win on the bump."

Appel and the Mustangs welcome RRAC foe Huston-Tillotson to 'The Jake' this weekend in a 4-game series. "We need to refocus tomorrow and get back to work to fine tune some things for this weekends pivotal matchup. Wins are great, but it's what we do in between that matters for the next opportunity ahead of us" said Head Coach Steve Appel.