TURLOCK – Oh, the defense. (Rolls eyes). Oh, the defense! (Pumps fist). Defense – both the "Gold Glove" and "Good Lord" kind – was the major story of the Chico State baseball team's sweep at Cal State Stanislaus Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats won the first game 5-4 in 11 innings and the nightcap 5-3.
 
The Wildcats improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. They've won 13 straight against Cal State Stanislaus and nine in a row in Turlock.
 

The series concludes with a single game Sunday at noon.
 
The Wildcats committed five errors in the first game, but stayed alive when shortstop Cody Slader made consecutive sensational plays with the go-ahead run on third in the 10^th. With the infield playing in, the 2014 Rawlings/ABCA National Gold Glove winner snared a one-hop smash and threw to first for the second out. With the bases loaded and two down, he dove deep into the hole to his right, rose, and threw a strike across the diamond to keep the 'Cats alive.
 
Connor Huesers scored the winning run in the 11th on a passed ball. He reached on a one-out bunt single and eventually reached third with the help of freshman Sean Smith's first collegiate hit.
 
The Wildcats squandered a 3-0 lead by committing four errors during a four-run Cal State Stanilsaus fifth.
 
Dylan Garcia drove in the tying run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly, setting the stage for Chico State's fourth extra-inning affair in the first five games of the season.
 
Starting pitcher Brad Lohse allowed just six hits in seven innings. He struck out four, and all four runs scored against him were unearned. Robert Hook relieved in the eighth and tossed four shutout innings to earn his first win of the season.
 

The story remained the same early in the second game. A throwing error aided Cal State Stanilaus' second-inning run. But the Wildcats tightened up after that to help true freshman starter Hunter Haworth earn his first collegiate win.
 
Haworth, making just his second start as a collegian, threw a complete game. He allowed three runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking one.
 
Chico State tied the game in the third on Andrew Carrillo's RBI-single. Cody Slader was hit by a pitch and stole second base to set the table.
 
They took a 2-1 lead on a throwing error in the fourth and then got a two-run double off the bat of Danny Miller in the fifth to stretch the advantage to 4-1.
 
Peter Miller's squeeze bunt plated the Wildcats' final run in the seventh to make it 5-1.
 
Haworth allowed a leadoff homer and RBI-double in the seventh but got a pop-up to end the game.
 
Garcia and Madrid finished with two hits apiece.