TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 4, 2022) - Thirty-five years ago today, on April 4, 1987, Hillsborough Community College beat Manatee Community College (now State College of Florida), 6-4 in 32 innings, in what is believed to be the longest collegiate or amateur baseball game on record.
According to the history books, a 1981 Triple A International League game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, which lasted 33 innings, is the only game to surpass Hillsborough-Manatee in number of innings played.
Interestingly enough, the Hawks-Lancers marathon lasted only 7 hours and 30 minutes.
After the game went to extra innings tied at 2, both teams scored a run in the 11th to keep things knotted a 3-all. Neither team scored again until the 27th, when HCC plated a run in the top half only to see Manatee answer and extend the game once more.
Among the many amazing stats, the teams combined to use only seven pitchers.
Hillsborough's Scott Pitcher lived up to his name by tossing 19 innings in relief to earn the win. He gave up seven hits and seven walks (six intentional) but allowed only one run and struck out 16.
After Lancers starter Steve Tucker pitched the first 11 innings, Mark Hanselman tossed the next 18 and allowed only one run before handing the ball to Pat Rehwinkel in a 4-4 game in the 30th.
Eventually, Rehwinkel was charged with the loss when Larry Barnes singled home two runs in the top of the 32nd.
Despite a combined 209 official at-bats, the teams managed only 30 hits total. Of note, Hillsborough's Eric Cullens and Jerry Orihuela played all 32 innings but neither produced a hit in 24 combined official at-bats - both players went 0-for-12.
In addition to local media, the HCC-MCC game garnered attention in Sports Illustrated and the New York Times, who noted that, as the game went to the 31st inning, Tom Spousta of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune dashed to the ballpark when he learned of history in the making. He arrived just as the lights went out!