The Chico State baseball team opened the NCAA Division II College World Series with a 6-4 loss to Lander on Saturday in Cary, North Carolina.
The Wildcats matched up to Lander, the nation’s leader in many offensive categories, for much of the game. But at the end, the reason for the opening loss was plain and simple: errors.
Chico State pitchers walked five batters, hit five more, and the defense committed a pair of errors behind them. The ‘Cats also ran into two outs on the base paths.
Despite the mistakes, Chico State’s (43-14) offense kept up with the Bearcats in the middle innings. Ryne Clark went 2 for 4 in the game, and Tyler Madrid had a two-run single to tie the game 3-3 at one point in the night.
The Wildcats will take on top-ranked Tampa in an elimination game Monday at 10 a.m.
