MIAMI - Freshman utility player Brian Sharp contributed two RBIs and picked up his first career save as the Missouri baseball team (3-2) held off a furious rally by Florida International (1-4) to pick up a 7-6 road victory Wednesday afternoon.

The Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, on a solo home run by catcher Brett Bond and RBI singles by left fielder Connor Brumfield and shortstop Ryan Howard. After FIU answered with a run in the bottiom of the inning, Sharp responded with a two-run single in the top of the third to make it 5-1 Mizzou.

Mizzou added two more runs in the fifth inning to go up six runs prior to FIU scoring five unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh to cut the Tigers lead to one run.

After starting the game at designated hitter, Sharp came on to pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning to get the Tigers out of a jam, as FIU stranded the game-tying run at third base. He allowed two runners to reach base in the bottom of the ninth before closing the door on the Panthers' comeback attempt.

Sharp was seventh and final pitcher used by Mizzou during the game. Fellow freshman Ty Shoaff picked up his first career win pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless ball with two strikeouts.

Up next for the Tigers on their season-opening Florida trip, a four-game weekend series with Hofstra (0-3) at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Florida beginning Friday at 1 p.m. CST.