Baseball • 2006 Universit University of South Carolina Upstate y of ...

2005 Season ReviewAfter a tough loss at home to Limestone,USC Upstate picked up a win the followingday on the road at Erskine. The Spartansescaped with a 11-7 victory. Bowley onceagain provided the big hit with a grand-slamhomerun in the fourth inning.The Spartans played PBC host that weekendas third-ranked Kennesaw State cameto Harley Park for the three-game series. TheSpartans capitalized on a big error in theeighth inning of game one to take a 7-5 winover the visiting Owls. Kennesaw bouncedback the next day however, taking two gamesand putting the Spartans at 3-5 in the PBC.USC Upstate would win their next fivegames as they defeated Mars Hill in a midweekgame then defeated Bentley, St. ThomasAquinas, and Shepherd in the first annualUSC Upstate Invitational. During theInvitational, the Spartans outscored theiropponent by a 58-20 margin. Bret Hansencapped off the Invitational with a big grandslamhomerun in the 18-0 victory over Shepherdin the final game. The Spartans pickedup their fifth win in a row in a mid-week 7-5victory at Coker.The Spartans endured a tough weekendas they lost three straight at home to GeorgiaCollege & State. USC Upstate reboundedwith a 10-5 win on the road atNewberry. Next up, conference opponentFrancis Marion came to Harley Park.The Patriots spoiled the Cleveland S.Harley Park stadium dedication on Fridayevening as they pulled out a 3-1 victory. TheSpartans picked up game on of the doubleheaderon Saturday. Eckard led USC Upstatepitching seven strong innings and earninghis first PBC victory of his career. FrancisMarion, however, took game two of thedoubleheader and left Spartanburg winningtwo of three games against the Spartans.Following the Francis Marion series, USCUpstate went on the road and defeatedLenoir-Rhyne 9-8. Wingo led the Spartansat the plate with a 2-for-4 afternoon with tworuns batted in.The Spartans next faced a tough PBCroad test at Columbus State. USC Upstatelost a heart-breaking 8-7 game as the Cougarsscored five runs in the bottom of theninth to get the victory. The Spartans cameback the next day ready to play as they swepta doubleheader by scores of 3-0 and 6-3.Davis was the leader for the Spartans at theplate, going 4-for-6 in the two games withtwo homeruns and four runs driven in.Eckard picked up the victory in game onewith a complete game seven-hitter surrenderingno runs while striking out seven Cougars.Bowley picked up the win in gametwo, pitching a complete game in the seveninningaffair. For his offensive performanceover that weekend, Davis was named thePBC Player of the Week.USC Upstate next dropped a pair of midweekroad games to Anderson and BelmontAbbey. The Spartans returned home to face22nd-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State in athree-game series. Rain washed out Friday’snightcap so the two teams played a singlegameon Saturday. Kais provided the key hitin the seventh with a bases-clearing triple toright-center to give the Spartans the 8-3 victoryover the 22nd-ranked Pirates. The victorybroke a 19-game losing streak to thePirates. Holmes delivered the best pitchingperformance of the season as he pitched thelast 4.1 innings of shutout ball while strikingout 11 of the 20 batters he faced to earn thevictory. On Sunday, the Spartans took theseries sweep over the Pirates winning 3-0and 8-2. In game one, Eckard picked up hissixth win of the season pitching 4.1 inningsof no-hit ball and striking out nine. In gametwo, the Spartans scored four runs in the seventhto break the game open.The Spartans won three mid-week gamesagainst Mars Hill, Southern Wesleyan, andNorth Greenville to extend their winningstreak to six games. USC Upstate next traveledto face Lander and swept the Bearcats.During the weekend, USC Upstate set theschool record for conference wins with 12 inthe game two victory. USC Upstate extendedtheir winning streak to nine. The Spartansalso cracked the Top 30 poll at 18th for theirperformance.After a mid-week victory over 27th rankedTusculum , USC Upstate extended their winningstreak to 10 and were ready to defend itas they hosted third-ranked North Florida. Inthe doubleheader, the Ospreys rallied to takeboth games while the next day scored thego-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk to takethe series sweep.The 21st ranked Spartans went 1-1 overthe next two games, losing at home to Erskineand defeating Coker in the bottom of theninth. USC Upstate traveled to face AugustaState in their final PBC series of the season.In game one, Davis crushed two homerunsand Williams picked up his fifth win of theseason as the Spartans defeated the Jags 9-2. In game two, the Spartans were 0-for-7with runners in scoring position as they fell 5-1. In the finale, ASU turned a one-run leadinto a four-run lead as they defeated USCUpstate 7-2.Brandon Williams finished the 2005season with a 5-2 record in 13 gamesstarted. Williams moved into fourthplace on the USC Upstate career winslist with 13.2005 Individual Honors#28 Kyle Bowley, Fr., 3B/1B/RHP2005 PBC co-Freshman of the YearBret Hansen smacked a grand-slamhomerun in a 18-0 victory over Shepherdon March 6, 2005.Eric Davis was named the PBC’s Playerof the Week for his 7-for10 performanceagainst Columbus State.#26 Eric Davis, Sr., 1B/OFPBC Player of the Week, 3/28/2005#4 Matt Goyea, Jr., 2BPBC All-Conference Selection, 2BFirst Team All-Region, South Atlantic, 2BSecond Team ABCA/Rawlings All-American,2BThird-Team Baseball Writers of America All-American, 2B31