Box Score

LOS ANGELES, CA – Junior shortstop Kevin Olah's two-run triple in the top of the 23rd inning and an improbable five-inning stint of shutout relief by infielder Andrew Nasti helped Rutgers-Newark to an 8-5 win over Occidental on Anderson Field in a game that sent sports information directors at each school scrambling.

In a marathon that lasted 6 hours and 37 minutes, the Scarlet Raiders (4-10) set records for innings played while a trio of batters posted 10 at bats.  The length of the game, which started at 11 a.m. (PDT), forced the teams to move the second game of their planned doubleheader to Sunday when the Raiders and Tigers (15-6) will play a pair of  games to complete Rutgers-Newark's spring break trip in California.

"I am extremely proud of the team today. It was a great day and they pretty much executed every inning,” said Raider Head Coach Mark Rizzi.  “To commit just one error in 23 innings is amazing. Their focus and energy was superb.  We grew up as a team today.  They will remember this for the rest of their lives."

After freshmen Ryan Macfarlane and Gerry Patrizio opened the 23rd with singles to left and right field, respectively, Olah roped a triple into the left centerfield gap to plate the two rookies and send the Raider dugout into a frenzy.  Junior Jimmy Napolitano followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to cap the rally.

Nasti, who was making his first-ever collegiate appearance on the mound in the last-man-standing scenario, shutdown Occidental on two hits while striking out five and walking just one over the final five innings to earn the victory and give the Raiders their second straight win.

"As soon as my number was called, I was ready to go,” explained Nasti.  “My teammates worked really hard to get us in that position, so I couldn't let them down. I'm extremely proud of our team and wouldn't trade this feeling for anything in the world"

How long was the game?  Olah, Macfarlane and freshman third baseman Brian Kokos each posted a school-record 10 at bats.

The contest easily out distanced the 17-inning, 8-6 win over Rutgers-Camden in the second half of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader in Camden on April 5, 2008, as the longest game in Rutgers-Newark baseball history.

Rizzi used 25 players including seven pitchers while the Tigers employed eight pitchers among their 22 players to appear in the game.

There was a 15-inning scoreless streak after Occident posted four runs in the bottom of the eighth to knot the score at 5-5 and chase Raider starter Michael Garcia.  Freshman Chris Nichols closed out the inning before a string of five Rutgers-Newark relievers put together a Herculean effort.

The Achilles heel of the Rutgers-Newark staff had been relief pitcher prior to today, but junior Ryan Staub, senior starting leftfielder Matt Larangera, freshman Billy Taylor, senior Anthony Caravano and Nasti combined to shut out  the Tigers on just seven hits over the final 16 innings.

Staub blanked Occidental for two innings with a strikeout and no hits allowed.  Larangera struck out six and walked just one while allowing three hits during his six inning stint which send the game to the 17th inning.

In the bottom of the 17th, Taylor filled the bases by wrapping a pair of walks around a hit batter.  Caravano came on with one out and miraculously escaped by getting a line-drive out to the shortstop and a ground ball to second base.  Caravano loaded the bases in the 18th but got out of the jam by coaxing a pop up.

Nasti came on came on in the 19th to put the Tigers down in order before loading the bases with no one out by issuing a walk chased by hitting consecutive batters in the 20th.  Nasti got a strikeout before Larangera, who had returned to leftfield, gunned the runner out at home on what looked like a bloop game-winning single to stun the Tigers.  The next batter ground to shortstop to end the threat.

"Definitely the best game I've ever been a part of in college.  Not because of incredible individual efforts, but the team as a whole collectively won the game,” stated Larengera.  “Usually when 25 players are involved, it's because of a very one-sided win or loss with minimal emotion for the late innings.  To see so much adrenaline poured into every inning through all 23 innings was amazing physically and mentally."

Occident scored in the first when senior designated hitter Scott Hong walked, moved to second on a ground ball, stole third and came home on a sacrifice fly by senior shortstop Logan Allen.

The Raiders bounced back for two runs in the top of the second despite a double play.  Napolitano walked and junior catcher Steve Tamayo singled around a double-play grounder to deliver the first Raider run.  After Larangera drew a walk, Macfarlane doubled down the right field line.

Napolitano hammered a lead-off home run to left field in the sixth before Rutgers-Newark pushed its lead to 5-1 in the seventh when Patrizio walked ahead of a double by Olah.  Patrizio scored on a wild pitch before sophomore first baseman Graham Commesso singled to left field to bring in Olah from third.

Macfarlane collected four of the Raiders' 19 hits while Olah, Napolitano, Tamayo and Larangera notch two hits apiece.

First pitch for Sunday's doubleheader is set for 10 a.m.