Heartbreak in Alabama

We feel for the Chico State Wildcats baseball team. Playing in Montgomery, Ala., they came so close to beating the No. 1-ranked Division II team and taking the national championship that they could taste it. But it was not to be.

Twice in the ninth inning, ahead 2-1 in a game most everyone thought the University of Tampa Spartans would win handily, the Wildcats needed just a single strike to win, and twice they didn’t get it. Instead the Spartans, in a deep hole with two out in their final at-bat, dug their way out with a threesome of clutch hits and tied the score, 2-2.

Then, in the top of the 10th, they scored another run, and the Wildcats were unable to match it in the bottom of the inning, despite Chad Williams’ two-out double.

What a heartbreak. If it’s any consolation, the team’s thousands of fans who were watching the game on television are immensely proud of the players. They may not have won, but they competed like champions. The game was as thrilling as a sports event can be. Both teams played their hearts out. Either could have won. The Spartans got lucky. That’s baseball.

Congrats to the ‘Cats on a great season. You overcame adversity, went as far as you could go, and played the game of your lives. That’s pretty admirable in our book.