Georgia Southern's baseball team began a five-game week, which includes four home games, with a 3-2 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls on Tuesday night at J.I. Clements Stadium.
    A crowd of 1,044 watched as GSU (19-15) earned its sixth straight victory behind five solid innings from the bullpen.
    GSU's Sam Howard made his second start of the season, and though he could not complete the fifth inning, left with a one-run lead. Howard did not allow a run on three hits and three walks after Josh Stevenson (2-2) left a pair of runners stranded in the fifth inning.
    GSU tallied just one RBI but took advantage of two errors and a double play to pick up the victory. Michael Burruss and T.D. Davis combined for four of the Eagles' eight hits but also accounted for half of the eight base runners left stranded.
    Kennesaw State's Kevin McCoy, making his second start, went two innings further than Howard and posted a quality start of one earned run in 6 1/3 innings for the Owle (19-15). However, McCoy (0-2) took the loss after allowing two unearned runs. The sophomore walked just one  and struck out seven batters.
    GSU added the pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 3-0. However, the Eagles had to hold on after the Owls rallied for two runs in the final four frames to make things interesting. Kyle Rowe came on in the eighth inning after Chirs McGowan knocked in Kennesaw State's second run of the game with a two-out infield single. Rowe (S, 3) retired pinch-hitter Jacob Bruce on a pop up and set down the top of the batting order in stride in the ninth inning to tally his third save of the season.
    Tyler Avera kept the fifth inning alive by reaching base on a two-out error and came around to score on a single by Eric Phillips. The hit also moved Michael Burruss, who was hit by a pitch, to third base. Having already picked up the RBI, Phillips was not done driving in runners and drew a throw, while stealing second base, that skipped into center field and allowed Burruss to score the game-winning run.
    GSU's bullpen put the game away by stranding six inherited runners with the help of a combined seven strikeouts. After Kennesaw State got a run back in the sixth inning on a Max Pentecost double, Taylor Burke struck out the two batters to end the frame and leave a pair of runners stranded in scoring position. Drew Johnson added a scoreless seventh inning and struck out two of the three batters he faced.
    Georgia Southern ended the scoreless tie with a run in the fourth inning. Chase Griffin reached base to lead off the frame after being hit by a pitch and scored the first run of the game on a double play. The freshman catcher went first-to-third on Stryker Brown's single and came around to score after Davis grounded into the double play.
    GSU will travel to Jacksonville (Fla.) University for a game at 6 tonight before returning to Statesboro to host the Southern Conference leader, Appalachian State, at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday before concluding the series at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
    All baseball games can be heard on the Boomer 103.7 FM.