ODESSA, Texas – After falling in the opening game of the Saturday doubleheader, the ENMU baseball team challenged UT-Permian Basin in the second game, but couldn't hold off a late Falcons rally as UTPB defeated the Hounds 13-4 and 10-9.

In the first game, the Greyhounds (12-15, 0-3 Lone Star Conference) were able to scratch across the first run of the game after senior shortstop Nicholas Ankerman drew a lead-off walk, advanced to third on a Joel Paulino single and scored on a wild pitch to give Eastern the early 1-0 edge.

The Falcons (12-16, 3-4 LSC) responded with a three-run first inning to take the lead, but the Greyhounds got a run back in the second on an Ankerman RBI single to left, scoring Luidinson Hidalgo to cut the deficit to 3-2.

However, UT-Permian Basin pulled away with 10 unanswered runs over the next four frames to extend its advantage to 13-2 after five innings of play.

The Greyhounds trimmed the deficit to nine with a pair of runs in the sixth after Hidalgo scored on a wild pitch and Paul Tapia drew a bases loaded walk, but Eastern could climb no closer in the contest.

The Falcons tallied their 13 runs on 11 hits and committed one error while the Hounds scored their four runs on four hits and made two errors.

Ankerman led the ENMU bats with a 1-for-2 performance from the plate with a walk, a steal, an RBI, and a run scored.

In the second game of the day, the Falcons once again gained the early momentum with two runs in the first inning to hold the 2-0 edge.

Eastern battled back in the top of the second, as the Hounds designated hitter Ryan Anderson slammed a two-run homer over the right center field fence to tie the game at 2-2. Tapia put ENMU in-front with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Alex Kuhn and Ankerman later came around to score to extend the Hounds' edge to 4-2.

The Falcons scored three unanswered runs to take back a 5-4 lead in the fourth, but Malcolm Smith came away with a crucial two RBI double down the right field line with two outs in the fifth to plate Eurick Perez and Bryan Waltemath to make it a 6-5 game. The Greyhounds added one more in the inning on a Blake Frye infield single, bringing in Hidalgo to make it a two-run advantage.

UT-Permian Basin managed to tie the game back up in the in the bottom of the fifth, but the Hounds answered right back with a pair of runs in the sixth on a Paulino RBI double to right and a Eurick Perez RBI single to center put Eastern back in-front 9-7.

However, the Falcons retaliated with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and would eventually win on a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Hounds a tough 10-9 defeat.

UT-Permian Basin scored their 10 runs on 12 hits and committed just one error while Eastern recorded nine runs on nine hits and made a pair of errors.

Ankerman and Tapia led the ENMU bats with a pair of hits each, as Ankerman finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs while Tapia slashed 2-for-5 with an RBI. Anderson finished with a pair of RBIs after going 1-for-3 with his two-run homer and a walk while Smith went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk as well.

The Hounds will look to salvage a game in the series tomorrow as Eastern will wrap up the series with UT-Permian Basin tomorrow with a noon first pitch.