Penn wins longest game in Ivy League history

The Quakers defeated Dartmouth 21-15 over the weekend in a 21-inning barn burner.

Players on the Penn baseball team celebrate and high five in a group.

Twenty-one runs, 30 hits, and 21 innings later, the Quakers reigned supreme.

On Saturday in New Hampshire, Penn and Dartmouth played the longest baseball game in Ivy League history—a 21-inning contest that saw the Red & Blue prevail 21-15.

A wild affair lasting six hours and 22 minutes, the game featured 55 hits, 36 runs, 206 plate appearances (an NCAA record), 176 at-bats (also an NCAA record), 10 doubles, four triples, three home runs, a grand slam, and the first Penn player to hit for the cycle in 19 years.

Dartmouth was ahead 6-5 headed into the eighth inning. In the top of the eighth, junior infielder Chris Adams hit a single to left field, which scored senior infielder Matt McGeagh and tied the game at 6-6. Freshman infielder Craig Larsen followed with a two-out grand slam over the left field wall, which gave the Quakers a 10-6 lead. The Big Green scored one run in the bottom of the eighth, and it was a 10-7 game headed into the ninth inning.

Three runs scored by Dartmouth in the bottom of the ninth sent the game into extra innings. The Big Green hit a home run and then tied the game with a two-run double.

Freshman infielder Craig Larsen stands in the batters box ready to swing.
Freshman infielder Craig Larsen became the first Quaker to hit for the cycle in 19 years. In 12 at-bats, he had a single, two doubles, a triple, and a grand slam.

Both teams went scoreless in the 10th, 11th, and 12th innings. In the 13th, with runners on first and second, freshman infielder Josh Hood hit a double to left field, which scored senior first baseman Sean Phelan. Senior catcher Matt O’Neill then hit a triple, which knocked in two runs and put the Quakers up 13-10. Dartmouth scored three runs in the bottom of the 13th, and the saga continued.

Junior outfielder Peter Matt led off the 21st inning with a triple. Phelan hit a single, which scored Matt and gave the Red & Blue a 14-13 lead. Hood followed with a three-run home run, which put Penn up 17-13. Freshman outfielder Tommy Courtney hit a two-run double with runners on first and second to give Penn a 19-13 lead. An RBI by Adams and another by sophomore outfielder Kyle Cronk put the Quakers up 21-13. Dartmouth scored two runs in the bottom of the 21st to make the final 21-15.

A host of records were broken during the game. Penn’s 30 hits are the most one-game total in school history. The Red & Blue’s 92 at-bats are the most one-game total in NCAA history. Matt and Larsen set the NCAA record for most at-bats in a single game with 12 apiece. O’Neill walked five times, the most single-game total in Penn baseball history. The Quakers hit eight doubles, the most in a single game in school history.

Larsen became the first Quaker to hit for the cycle in 19 years. In 12 at-bats, he had a single, two doubles, a triple, and a grand slam. For his efforts, he has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week, Ivy League Player of the Week, and Big 5 Player of the Week.