Walk-Off Balk Ends Longest College Baseball Game in Summit League History

There were many emotions at the end of the 21-inning St. Thomas-Northern Colorado game. | @BaseballQuotes

College baseball got weird on Saturday thanks to a game that actually started on Friday. Northern Colorado beat the University of St. Thomas, 8-7, on a walk-off balk in the longest game in Summit League history.

The game, which lasted 21-innings, was also the eighth-longest game in Division 1 baseball history.

After multiple days the game regrettably ended with a balk. Senior Nolan Kemp was on the mound with two outs and the bases loaded when he came set on a 2-2 pitch and was called for the violation. It's a brutal way to give up a run, let alone lose a game. When it happens just one strike away from the 22nd inning ... that's unfortunate.

CONTROVERSIAL WALK OFF BALK ENDS A GAME IN THE 21ST INNING 😲😲

Tied for the 8th longest game in DI Baseball history pic.twitter.com/nMD5doAhqp

— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) April 18, 2026

The game was originally scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. MT on Friday, but was delayed because of weather. By the time the game finally started at 2 p.m. MT, they had pushed a scheduled double-header to Saturday. Northern Colorado took a a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning, but St. Thomas tied it in the top of the ninth to force extra innings. If only they knew what they had done.

The action finished for the night after 10 innings when it was deemed too dark to continue playing.

The game resumed on Saturday at noon local time with Trevor Landen on the mound for the Bears. Landen's longest outing of the season coming into Saturday was 4 2/3 innings. Like an absolute hero, Landen went 8 2/3 innings in what was technically a relief appearance.

Not to be outdone, Tommies pitcher Sam Stockman also entered the game as it resumed on Saturday and went 8 2/3 innings. His previous longest outing of the season was four innings against the University of Minnesota earlier in the week. Somehow, in his ninth inning of work on Saturday he made what can only be described as the play of the game.

Got em pic.twitter.com/YNb4NUobII

— St. Thomas Baseball (@TommieBase) April 18, 2026

Five pitchers for Northern Colorado and four pitchers for St. Thomas combined to throw 712 pitches. There were 24 hits in 140 at-bats. The game that started at 3 p.m. on Friday ended just before 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Oh, and the second game of the double-header on Saturday? It was also suspended because of daylight. It is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. MT and then they'll try to play the other game which was originally scheduled for Sunday.

The two schools were scheduled to play a four-game series this weekend, but so far they've played 30 innings and have only actually completed two games.

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