[chucksabr]

24 Innings of Scoreless Ball, Then a United Win

A match unique in the annals of the Baseball League occurred, marking the first time a game proceeded into the 25th innings with neither side having scored even a single run. It was also the fourth instance in which a match was overtaken by darkness and suspended, to be resumed the following afternoon at one o’clock, in advance of the three o’clock start for the regularly scheduled match of the day.

Some 7,200 Oldham Athletic supporters sat through six hours of dull baseball at Derby Turn Thursday before late twilight forced cessation at the dawn of the 20th innings. To that point there had been a grand total of twenty two base hits between the Burton United and Oldham sides, only two of them going for as far as two bases, with a mere five base runners advancing as far as third base. Worse, there was not a single contested play at the home plate the entire match. Little wonder, then, that only a few hundred hardy optimists were left in attendance by the time close of play occurred.

A few thousand were already in their seats at one sharp the next day, but although the players were refreshed by sleep and base runners reached in each half innings played Friday save one, no scoring occurred until the top of the 25th as United wore down Claude Wyatt, pitching in relief. Wyatt allowed bases on balls to the first three batsmen, then yielded two singles to score two, almost giving up a third except for the put out at the plate by catcher Clayton. After another single, a double play brought the United half of the innings to an end. Latics made a bit of noise in their half, putting men on the first and third bases and two outs, but the aforementioned Clayton struck out looking at a perfect pitch in the heart of the batting zone to end the Marathon match. It was only the second match in League records to have gone as long as twenty-five innings, the previous instance occurring four years ago between Everton and Nottingham Forest.

After a short tea, the sides alighted from their dugouts for the scheduled match, which ended in a seven runs to five victory for the home side, saving the day for the new set of seven thousand spectators.