Arthur Owens was only supposed to be a defensive replacement for the nation’s leading home run hitter in Victor Roache.
    Turned out, he had to bat — twice.
    Owens, who had only one hit on the season heading into the contest, doubled in the 10th, and with two on and two out in the bottom of 11th in his second at-bat, singled up the middle to drive in Stryker Brown for the walkoff run as the Georgia Southern Eagles held off visiting Charleston Southern, 13-12, Wednesday at J.I. Clements Stadium.
    “I was a little nervous, I’m not going to lie,” said Owens about the game’s final play. “Before the at-bat, [shortstop Eric Phillips] said, ‘What would you do for a Klondike Bar?’ I was like, ‘Shoot, I’ll just get a hit. That’s all I want.’”
    Brown, who replaced Brent Pugh at third in the ninth inning, scored to end the game after Owens lined the walkoff single into center. He doubled to lead off the 11th on an 0-2 changeup to get things started.
    The Eagles (26-19) led 10-9 in heading into the top of the ninth, but the Buccaneers (22-23) plated three off of GSU closer Matt Murray — including a two-run throwing error — to take a 12-10 advantage into the bottom of the ninth.
    Scooter Williams singled up the gut to extend the inning with two outs, and Michael Burrus, who had homered only once entering the game, drilled a 2-2 pitch down the first base line and over the fence to tie the game at 12-12.
    Josh Adams (6-6) got the win after retiring the Buccaneers in order in the top of the 11th.
    Georgia Southern led by as many as five runs, taking a 7-2 lead into the sixth, but CSU scored three in the sixth, two in the seventh and eighth and three more in the ninth in a game that saw the two ball clubs combine for 36 hits.
    The Eagles did most of their damage in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating six runs with the help of two Buccaneers errors.
    Entering the inning trailing 2-1, Steve Cochrane drew a walk to get things started. Shawn Payne got aboard with a hard single, and Tom Richardson reached on a throwing error by CSU third baseman Jaren Sustar, which also allowed Cochrane to cross the plate and tie the game.
    Ben Morgan lined a double off of the bag down the third-base line to drive in both Payne and Richardson to put GSU ahead for the first time, 4-2.
    Pugh laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Morgan crossed the plate on another throwing error, this one on a Williams infield single.
    Burruss walked to join Williams on the base paths, and they both scored when Roache (2-for-3, 3 RBIs) doubled off the fence in left-centerfield to put the Eagles up 7-2.
    The win snapped a three-game losing skid, the second longest losing streak of the season.
    Georgia Southern returns to action Friday for the first of a three-game series against Wofford.
    First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

    Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9408.