Miami, Fla. – Jacksonville State exploded for six runs in the twelfth to break a 6-6 deadlock with Florida International on Friday night in the opening game of the three-game series between the two clubs.

In JSU's (7-2) final at-bat, it batted around strung together three consecutive RBI singles right back up the middle to plate the go-ahead and insurance runs with one out in the frame.  Junior Nic Gaddis delivered the game-winning RBI, scoring Taylor Hawthorne, who started the inning with a hit by pitch.  Hawthorne swiped second and FIU (4-5) intentionally walked Andrew Naismith ahead of Gaddis.  Freshman Isaac Alexander followed Gaddis with an RBI, while sophomore Chase Robinson extended the string of hits with a single for his third RBI of the night.  

Alexander and Naismith led JSU to a season-high 13 hits with three each.  Robinson finished with three RBI on the night with his single and a sacrifice fly in the second and third respectively.  Cole Frederick reached on a fielding miscue in the FIU infield for the fifth run of the frame.  Senior Clayton Daniel, who had a pair of RBI in the contest, lifted a fly ball to right, scoring the final run for JSU.  Daniel extended JSU's early lead to 6-4 with an RBI single in the sixth.

The story outside of Jax State's big inning in the 12th was the pitching of junior transfer Austin Brewster out of the bullpen.  The Trussville, Alabama native, who came to the program from Shelton State Community College, was sensational in relief by finishing the final 5.2 innings.  Brewster limited the Panthers to a pair of hits in the outing and tallied four strikeouts.  After FIU tied the game at 6-6 with a two-run seventh, Brewster retired the next 11 Panthers to pick up his second win as a Gamecock.

Jax State got off to a great start with a single run in the second and turned in a four-run frame in the third to stake starter Garrett Famer to a 5-1 advantage.  FIU started cutting in to the deficit in four of the first five innings with single runs in each frame, which were highlighted by leadoff home runs in the third and fourth.  FIU's Eddie Silva had a pair of home runs in the setback. 

Farmer went a season-longest 5.1 innings and tallied four strikeouts.  Sophomore Dylan Hathcock pitched an inning in the contest.

The Gamecocks and Panthers will face off in game two of the weekend series on Saturday evening at FIU Stadium.  First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CST.