Lehigh Baseball Sets NCAA Division 1 Record With Historic 1st-Inning Run Total in 38-6 Win

Lehigh set a Division I baseball record in the first inning of its 38-6 win over Coppin State on Tuesday night.

The Mountain Hawks scored 20 runs in the opening frame, breaking the previous NCAA DI record for first-inning runs of 18 that had been shared by Princeton and Air Force since 1974.

Coppin State starter Mekenna Wakakuwa allowed all eight batters he faced to reach base before he was replaced by Jack Joyce, who struck out the first batter he saw.

After that, though, things unraveled for Joyce. He issued three straight walks and hit two batters before Aaden Lopez came into the game. Lopez didn't fare any better against the six batters he faced, issuing six walks.

By comparison, Jackson Montgomery looked like prime Pedro Martinez when he came into the game. He did allow five runs but was able to make it through 2.2 innings.

The inning featured a total of 10 walks, six hit batters and three hits, capped off by Owen Walewander's grand slam.

Lehigh led 20-0 before Coppin State even got to bat. The Mountain Hawks added at least one run in each of the next six innings, eventually pushing their run total up to 38.

Per the Associated Press, Aidan Quinn also set a Division I single-game record by being walked seven times. Lehigh's 23 batters sent to the plate in the first inning were three shy of setting a new record.

The 38 runs came on just 12 hits. There were 25 walks, nine hit batters and 11 wild pitches issued by 10 Coppin State pitchers.

Lehigh has won four of its last seven games, but is just 10-24 overall this season. The Mountain Hawks will open a four-game series against Lafayette College on Friday.