Exhibit B: The Game Too Big to Score

It may only be July, but the best baseball game of the year has already been played—and not by the Red Sox. The honor instead goes to another hometown team, the BC Eagles, who made history in their 5/30 playoff against the University of Texas at Austin's Disch-Falk Field. Starting at 7:02 p.m., the match would stretch on through seven hours and 25 innings, making it the longest NCAA game ever. Seeing the epic through to its conclusion required deploying every available position player and a total of 11 pitchers, who threw a combined 683 tosses.

It also required considerable stamina, and ingenuity, on the part of the scorekeepers. After the 19th inning, the UT athletic department's Spencer Kitley gave up trying to squeeze inning stats into his preprinted scorebook. "Some people were rewriting all the lines on a new page," he says. "I just went the easy way and taped on a new piece of paper." (His handiwork is pictured above.) When the final tally was recorded shortly after 2 a.m.—Texas 3, BC 2—the teams had entered 14 single-game records into the books, including most strikeouts (42), at-bats (171), and assists (69). One milestone that didn't make it into Kitley's scorebook: the first 21st-inning stretch in baseball history.

Top of the 2nd

Texas right fielder Kevin Keyes hits a two-run homer, giving the Longhorns an early lead.

TEXAS 2, BC 0

Bottom of the 4th

Designated hitter/closer Mike Belfiore will pitch 9.2 scoreless innings and, for the first time in his collegiate career, play left field. He also hits the single that gives BC its first run.

TEXAS 2, BC 1

Bottom of the 6th

BC catcher Tony Sanchez hits a game-tying sacrifice fly. It will be 18 innings before anyone scores again. 

TEXAS 2, BC 2

Top of the 19th
After nearly a full game at third base, BC infielder Mickey Wiswall moves to first. Twelve innings later, he'll return to third for the rest of the game.

TEXAS 2, BC 2

Bottom of the 20th

Texas closer Austin Wood is finally pulled after holding BC scoreless for 13 innings. He threw 169 pitches (120 for strikes), struck out 14, and was invited to display his cap at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

TEXAS 2, BC 2

Top of the 25th

During his 12th at-bat (a record he shares with teammate Michael Torres), Texas's Travis Tucker hits a single on a 3-2 pitch to send Connor Rowe home and win the game.

TEXAS 3, BC 2