AUSTIN, Texas—St. Edward's baseball took a 6-3 lead into the final inning but couldn't hold on in a 7-6 loss to the Texas Permian Basin Falcons, dropping into a 2-0 hole to start the four-game series. 
 
Both teams went back and forth, eking out runs through the first two-and-a-half innings before St. Edward's broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run third inning. 
 
St. Edward's struck first. After TREVOR SEBEK drew a leadoff walk on four consecutive pitches, CARLO FIGUEROA rocketed a shot up the middle that glanced off pitcher Bryan Adams' foot directly to Gibrian Pena at third. Pena threw Figueroa out at first base, but Sebek advanced to third to set up CONNOR COX's RBI single through the left side.
 
Texas Permian Basin answered back immediately. Austin Hall led off the top of the second inning with a double to right field, then Pena moved him to third with a groundout. Caleb Boswell grounded to shortstop WESTON SYMES, driving in Hall and reaching on a throwing error to tie the game. 
 
DIEGO SOLIS and DAVIS DREWEK responded with back-to-back singles in the bottom of the inning. The Hilltoppers turned to small ball, and WESTON SYMES moved both over on a sacrifice bunt, then Sebek drove in Solis with a chopper to second for the groundout to retake the lead. 
 
Texas Permian Basin turned a leadoff Carson Johnson single into a run when Johnson stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a grounder hit by Hamlin to tie the game. 
 
St. Edward's gained some separation by plating three runs in the third. Cox and Murray reached on a leadoff single and hit by pitch. Solis delivered a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring Cox and Murray, who opened the inning with a leadoff single and hit by pitch. Drewek followed with a walk, and Symes drove Solis in on a single up the middle. 
 
Both teams went down in order over the next two innings until Hall sparked UTPB with a leadoff double to right-center in the sixth. Pena moved him over with a groundout to second baseman KYLER KERLIN on a spectacular diving catch, and Boswell drove him in with a single up the middle to cut its deficit to 5-3. After BRENNAN BERDON walked Ethan Babcock-Barrie, Quincy McGraw Jr. reached on a fielder's choice on the double play attempt, putting runners on the corners with two outs, and Solis threw him out on an ensuing steal attempt. 
 
Solis followed the inning-ending defensive play with a leadoff opposite-field single in the bottom of the sixth. Drewek moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, and after Symes grounded out, Sebek scored Solis with a two-out RBI double to right field for the 6-3 lead. 
 
In the bottom of the seventh, St. Edward's turned to its bullpen, bringing out LUKE NEGRETE to start the inning. Johnson reached on an error, then Negrete walked Haggerty and surrendered back-to-back singles from Hamlin and Flodstrom, with the latter driving in two with a single to left. 
 
AUSTIN ESSEX replaced Negrete and surrendered back-to-back hits. Hall welcomed Essex with an RBI single to tie the game, and Pena's RBI double gave UTPB its lead. Essex retired three of the following four hitters, striking out Babcock-Barrie and McGraw. St. Edward's went down in order to end the game in the seventh. 
 
DIEGO SOLIS led a productive bottom-of-the-lineup for St. Edward's baseball. The 7-8-9 spots hit a combined 5-for-6 between DIEGO SOLIS, DAVIS DREWEK, and WESTON SYMES. Solis had a day at the plate and behind it. St. Edward's catcher hit a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored while throwing out a runner stealing second in a critical first-and-third situation in the sixth. 
 
Berdon had a solid start on the mound for St. Edward's, going six innings with three strikeouts, two walks, and three runs surrendered on five hits with no decision. Negrete picked up the loss, surrendering a walk and two hits with three of his four runs earned. St. Edward's drops to 8-12 with an 8-10 conference record.