A 23-run inning?! George Mason sets NCAA record ... without a homer
The George Mason Patriots made college baseball history on Tuesday by scoring an NCAA-record 23 runs in one inning during their 26-6 victory over Holy Cross.
That is a mind-boggling feat. What¡¯s just as amazing is how the Patriots did it.
George Mason scored those 23 runs during a bottom of the second inning that included no home runs, no triples and only five doubles. They piled up 11 hits during the frame, but Holy Cross helped out by walking eight batters, hitting five batters with a pitch and committing three errors. After the inning began with a harmless ground out, 19 consecutive George Mason batters reached base.
The previous NCAA record for most runs in an inning -- 21 -- belonged to the 1984 Wichita State Shockers and the 1983 Penn State Nittany Lions.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this dwarfs the MLB record for most runs scored in an inning during the Modern Era (since 1900). That was set by the Red Sox on June 18, 1953, as they plated 17 runs in the seventh inning en route to a 23-3 win over the Tigers.
George Mason¡¯s single-inning barrage is the latest eye-popping score to come out of the Division I ranks. A couple of weeks ago, a seven-inning game between the University of Rhode Island and William & Mary featured 58 combined runs.