A new record of 23 runs in a single inning was set in U.S. college baseball. It is even more surprising that these 23 runs occurred without any home runs.

George Mason University set a new record for the most runs scored in a single inning in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I baseball history with 23 runs against Holy Cross College during a game held at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Virginia, on the 5th.

The previous record was 21 runs, set by Penn State University in 1983 and Wichita State University in 1984, which George Mason University broke after 41 years.

The record came in the bottom of the second inning. After the first batter was out on a sacrifice bunt to third base, there were walks, hits, hit-by-pitches, a double, and a fielder's choice that led to two errors, resulting in 19 consecutive batters reaching base.

Though there were two outs from a pop fly, six consecutive reach base events followed with walks, a double, and hits. The final batter was out on a ground ball, ending the inning. In just that inning, there were 11 hits (6 singles, 5 doubles), 8 walks, and 5 hit-by-pitches, totaling an impressive 24 times reaching base and scoring 23 runs.

It is even more surprising that these 23 runs were scored without a single home run. Holy Cross College, which allowed the 23 runs, used five pitchers in that inning but could not avoid a disaster. With 5 hit-by-pitches, the pitchers' control was terrible, and there were also three defensive errors that compounded the issue.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the record for the most runs scored in a single inning in Major League Baseball since 1900 is 17. On June 19, 1953, the Boston Red Sox scored 17 runs in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers in a game at Fenway Park, winning 23-3. They exploded for 17 runs with 14 hits including one home run and 6 walks, all without an error.

In the KBO League, the record is 16 runs. On April 7, 2019, the Hanwha Eagles scored a remarkable 16 runs against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan, including 2 home runs among 13 hits and 3 walks, combining an opponent's error for the victory, leading to a 16-1 win in a 6th inning rain-shortened game.

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