The Missouri State baseball team scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back Tuesday in a 10-2 win over Arkansas-Little Rock at Hammons Field.

    Ben Carlson’s eighth home run of the season followed back-to-back singles from Aaron Conway and Kevin Medrano to put the Bears ahead 3-0 just three batters into the game. The high fly ball narrowly missed the light standard in right center before landing on the indoor training facility. Then with two outs, Travis McComack doubled in Brayden Drake and Trevor Rogers to cap a five-run first for the home team.

    Carlson struck again in the fourth, driving in McComack with a sac fly for a 6-2 lead. Then in the fifth, UALR center fielder Nate Brown dropped the third out to allow Rogers to score and McComack to reach safely. Tyler Ryun doubled home McComack and Conway and Medrano added RBI singles as the Bears scored four runs after the two-out error to go ahead 10-2.

    Aaron Meade (5-2) got the start for the Bears and went five innings, fanning seven and scattering three hits. He allowed two runs in the third when UALR’s Kody Kroll tripled in a run and scored on a ground out.

    Cody Aycock pitched three shutout innings of relief and Brant Combs tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts.

    Conway finished with three hits, Medrano went 2-for-3 with two walks and Carlson had four RBIs. Rogers scored twice, while McComack had two hits, two RBIs and two runs.

    MSU improved to 16-12 with the win. UALR dropped to 8-21.

    The Bears host 18th-ranked Oklahoma State (21-10) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.