MIAMI (Interstat) — Jordan Vargas pitched four and one-third innings of two-hit ball and Aidan Cohall drove in three runs Sunday afternoon as Florida International defeated Middle Tennessee 10-2 at FIU Baseball Stadium in a Conference USA series finale.

Vargas allowed one earned run and struck out six. The right-hander improved to 3-4 on the season after struggling in his two previous outings, including a loss to the same Blue Raiders on Friday. He was relieved by Cooper Foster, who pitched one and one-third innings of one-hit scoreless ball, and Jeremy Urena, who struck out five over three and one-third innings while allowing one earned run.

The Golden Panthers, now 17-34 overall, scored in four of the first five innings and never trailed. Mario Trivella started the scoring with a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning, capping a three-run frame that also included an RBI groundout by Enrique Alvarez. Middle Tennessee had taken a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by Owen Nowak, but the Blue Raiders managed only five more hits the rest of the afternoon.

Florida International added two runs in the third inning on a fielder’s choice by Aidan Cohall and an RBI single by Caden Sammler. The rally began with a double by Trivella, who advanced to third on a flyout and scored on Cohall’s groundout.

The decisive blow came in the bottom of the fourth. Drew Ildefonso doubled down the left-field line with two outs, driving in Cooper Rasmussen and Samuel Fischer to make it 7-2. Cohall followed with a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 9-2. Cohall finished 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. Ildefonso was 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Middle Tennessee had cut the deficit to 5-2 in the top of the fourth when Cooper Clapp homered to right field. But the Blue Raiders, who fell to 24-27, grounded into two double plays and struck out 14 times. Tyler Minnick went 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning, his second hit of the game.

Sammler added a solo home run in the fifth inning to push the lead to 10-2. He finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Trivella was 2 for 5 with a double and a home run, driving in two runs.

John Michael Pickens pitched two and one-third scoreless innings of relief for Middle Tennessee, allowing no hits and striking out two. Colin Kerrigan tossed one-third of an inning without allowing a hit.

The game marked the rubber match of a three-game series after Middle Tennessee won 11-9 on Friday and Florida International won 7-5 on Saturday. The Blue Raiders next host Memphis on Tuesday, then begin a home series against Liberty on Thursday. Florida International travels to New Mexico State for a three-game series starting Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Middle Tennessee 4, Florida International 3. Interstat’s ELO system had given Florida International a 54.20 percent probability to win.