MOBILE, Ala. – Texas State had been looking for the bats to pop all weekend, and they finally did in the series finale Sunday. The Bobcats knocked 11 hits, including a three-run homer from Ben McElroy, to outlast a late surge from South Alabama and win it, 8-7. With the win, Texas State improves to 6-3 in conference play, tied atop the Sun Belt, setting up a showdown of two first place teams at Bobcat Ballpark next weekend.
 
The Bobcats scored first with two runs in the third inning. Luke Sherley led off the inning with a single to start a strong offensive day for the freshman. He was only retired once in the game and it took an impressive diving play from the South Alabama right fielder to do it. After his single, he walked and reached base on a hit by pitch. In the ninth he added a single to left center. He finished the day with two runs scored.
 
Sherley's first run came in off the bat of Cedric Vallieres. The senior knocked a double to left centerfield to plate Sherley as part of a strong day for himself as well. He finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Vallieres scored his first run of the day on an infield single from Theodore Hoffman. Hoffman was able to leg out a slow grounder for the hit and the RBI.
 
The Jaguars answered in the fourth with three runs, two of which scored on passed balls to go ahead. Texas State, however, would not go away. Seniors Vallieres and David Paiz were the reason why. In the sixth inning, freshmen Derek Scheible and Sherley were both hit by a pitch. Then, with two outs, Vallieres and Paiz hit consecutive singles to plate Scheible and Sherley and put the Bobcats up, 4-3.
 
After South Alabama erased a 1-0 deficit in the ninth inning of Saturday's game, Texas State was looking for some insurance runs late in the game. In the eighth, they were able to score four. Vallieres knocked a double down the left line with one out. Paiz and Granger Studdard followed with consecutive walks to load the bases.
 
Colby Targun brought in Paiz with a groundout to make it, 5-3. After that, McElroy came up big with a home run down the right field line for three runs to bust the game open, 8-3. Turns out, Texas State would need every bit of that five-run cushion in the ninth.
 
The Jaguars scored four runs in the ninth on two walks, a hit by pitch and three singles to close the gap. But, with runners at first and second, Paiz corralled a grounder and dove for the force out at third base to clinch the win for the Bobcats.
 
Next, Texas State hosts No. 14 Texas at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and will follow with a three-game series against Georgia Southern over the weekend in San Marcos.