LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Texas State was able to salvage a tough series against UALR with an impressive 10-4 victory in the series finale Sunday afternoon. Ben McElroy started the Bobcats off with a two-run homer in the second inning and Cedric Vallieres sent one out in the third to give Texas State and early 3-1 lead. The Bobcats didn't look back after that, improving to 17-17-1 on the year and 9-7 in Sun Belt play.
 
Jeremy Hallonquist only allowed one earned run in the Sunday start, lasting 5.2 innings to get his fourth win of the season for the Bobcats. After that, Joe Powell, Pasquale Mazzoccoli and Blake Whitter finished out the game with the help of a big lead. Whitter did not give up a hit in 1.1 innings of work to close out the game.
 
In the top of the second, Jared Huber knocked a single to make it five consecutive trips to the plate in which he wasn't retired, dating back to Saturday's game. With Huber on base, lefty hitter McElroy knocked his third home run of the year over the right field fence to put Texas State up 2-0. The Trojans cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Vallieres answered with his team-leading eighth home run of the year in the third to make it 3-1.
 
Colby Targun knocked the first two of his four RBI in the game in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 5-1. After Luke Sherley and Vallieres earned walks, Targun knocked a single to right field to plate them both and give Texas State the four-run lead.
 
The Bobcats broke the game open in the sixth inning, taking advantage of four walks and knocking three hits to score five runs in the inning and go up by a score of 10-1. Huber led off the inning with his second hit of the day, then four of the next five Bobcats earned walks to score two runs. After that, Targun knocked another single to right field for two more runs, and David Paiz followed with a two-out single up the middle to give Texas State a nine-run lead.
 
That lead proved to be insurmountable for the UALR Trojans. They were able to score a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings but it would not be enough to overcome the Bobcats. Texas State keeps the team's streak alive of not being swept in a series yet this season.
 
McElroy led the team from the plate with a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored and his two RBI off the home run. Huber and Targun also finished with two hits apiece, with Targun tallying four RBI and Huber scoring twice. Paiz, Tanner Hill, Granger Studdard and Vallieres all knocked a hit in the game.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is the third installment of the I-35 Rivalry against UTSA. Texas State will host the Roadrunners at 6 p.m. Tuesday followed by a series against UL Lafayette at Bobcat Ballpark over the weekend.