COAL GROVE - To error might be human, but those mistakes are still not wanted in baseball.

The Coal Grove Hornets were guilty of two costly errors and Chesapeake took advantage as the Panthers got by with a 4-3 win Monday in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.

"We had our chances and didn't take advantage of them. We made a couple of errors and gave them three runs, but they gave us a couple of runs, too," Hornets coach John Jones said. "We didn't put the ball in play when we needed to."

After a scoreless first inning, the errors began to surface.

With two outs in the second, Matt Whitmore singled and Zach Henderson was safe on an error. Tyler Marcum's fly ball was then dropped allowing the runners to score. Kersten Harris walked and P.J. Rase singled home Marcum to cap the rally.

Chesapeake got what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning.

Justin Finley singled and Jeff Gilkison doubled to start the inning. After a walk, Henderson put down a suicide squeeze to score Finley.

Coal Grove got all its runs in the fifth inning.

Luke Tackett walked and two outs later Colton Hitchcock was hit by pitch. Tackett stole third and the throw went into left field allowing him to score.

Aaron Apt singled to score Hitchcock. Patrick Roush then hit a slow roller to third and the throw to first base went down the right field line sending Hitchcock home.

The Hornets threatened in the sixth with two men on and two outs but couldn't score.

Phillip Butcher went four-plus innings to get the win while Rase came on to get the save. Tommy Pemberton pitched well in defeat as he allowed just five hits, struck out 10 and walked three.

"Butcher did a good job keeping us offstride, and then Rase came in and threw a little harder and that messed up our timing," Jones said. 'But you can't fault the effort Tommy gave us."

Finley was 2-4 to lead the Panthers while Roush went 2-4 to pace Coal Grove.

Both teams are 1-1.

Chesapeake0310000-454

Coal Grove0000300-362

Phillip Butcher, P.J. Rase (5) and Justin Finley. Tommy Pemberton and Nick Bazell. W-Butcher (4-K, 5-W, 1-HBP). L-Pemberton (10-K, 3-W). Save-Rase (4-K, 0-W). 2B-Chesapeake: Justin Finley, Jeff Gilkison. Hitting-Chesapeake: P.J. Rase 1-3, Justin Finley 2-4, Jeff Gilkison 1-3, Matt Whitmore 1-2; Coal Grove: Randy Wise 1-4, Tommy Pemberton 1-2, Aaron Apt 1-4, Patrick Roush 2-4, Andrew Johnson 1-4.