Christian Khawam's two-run double down the right field line rallied FIU past Missouri, 11-5, Sunday afternoon at the FIU ballpark.

The Panthers (1-2) trailed the Tigers (2-1) and starter Andy Toelken by three runs to start the bottom of the fifth inning.

Jose Garcia was hit by a Toelken pitch to lead off the fifth. Eddie Silva followed with a towering two-run home run to left to cut the Missouri lead to 5-4. Kobe Lopez singled to right to knock Toelken out of the game.

Tigers lefty reliever Cody Siebenberger hit Austin Shenton with a pitch. Diandre Amion then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Lopez to third and Shenton to second base before Khawam delivered the decisive hit.

Right-hander Nile Ball relieved Siebenberger against the right-handed hitting Khawam. Ball, who recorded the save in Missouri's 3-1 win Friday, had Khawam in a 1-2 count before the Panthers senior DH sliced a double scoring Lopez and Shenton to give FIU a 6-5 lead.

FIU blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth. Amion drilled a three-run double into the right center field gap to clear the bases.

Amion, Khawam, Silva and Lopez each had two hits for the Panthers.

The Panthers were able to maintain a one-run lead into the bottom of the eighth because of gritty relief pitching by freshman Steven Casey and sophomore Gio Soto.

Casey (1-0) pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed two runs and struck out six. Casey retired six in a row before Conner Brumfield singled with two outs in the eighth. Soto relieved and got Trey Harris to line out to right to end the threat.

Soto pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to record his first career save.

FIU starter Nick MacDonald pitched four scoreless innings and struck out six.

FIU returns to the diamond next Friday when Grambling comes to town for a three-game series. First pitch of game one is at 7 p.m. from the FIU ballpark.