In a baseball bonanza, George Mason shattered the NCAA Division I record by scoring 23 runs in the second inning against Holy Cross, leaving the pitchers so confused they probably considered retirement.

This historic inning not only eclipsed the previous record of 21 runs—in a shocking display of athletic prowess that had Holy Cross scratching their heads and considering a career change—but it also propelled George Mason to a 26-6 victory. With five pitchers used and no outs recorded by two of them, the inning was so wild that it might as well have come with a parental advisory for on-field chaos.

The record-setting onslaught began with a single, as if George Mason was simply flipping a switch rather than unleashing a full-scale offensive. From there, chaos reigned supreme as 28 batters made their way to the plate in a frenzy that must have had Holy Cross's coaching staff reaching for the nearest stress ball. Remarkably, 19 consecutive batters batted after the first out, suggesting that the only thing worse than a catastrophic inning was how confused the Holy Cross defense looked trying to figure out who exactly was going to stop the bleeding.

Freshman catcher Andrew Raymond particularly thrived in this frenzy, racking up a commendable three RBIs during the fracas. One can only imagine his euphoria as he stood at the plate, feeling like a kid in a candy store, if that candy store had a particularly high turnover rate and the candy had a habit of hitting home runs. Meanwhile, the top three hitters for George Mason all contributed significantly to the scoreboard, boasting a combined tally of four RBIs each. Collectively, they went 6-for-10, proving that sometimes, the best offense is straightforward mathematics, as long as your math teacher doesn’t mind a bit of chaos in the equation.

Holy Cross, in a desperate attempt to halt the avalanche of runs, resorted to a strategy that can only be described as 'let’s see what sticks'. They cycled through five pitchers during the second inning alone, a number that seems almost excessive for a standard game. Two of the poor souls failed to record an out, presumably wondering how they ended up in a situation reminiscent of a bad dream where the baserunners just keep coming and there’s no escape. The recurring question must have been, 'Did I sign up for a baseball game or a trial by fire?'

As the game progressed towards its unfortunate conclusion for Holy Cross, they managed to score a few runs, finally crossing the scoreboard in the fourth inning and again between the sixth and seventh. However, at that point, the momentum of George Mason had taken on a life of its own. With 26 runs on the board, they had jumped out to a lead so vast that by the end, it was clear that Holy Cross would need a miracle—and perhaps a brief therapy session to process the events of the game.

Thanks to the run rule implemented in this seven-inning contest, the game met a swift end, ensuring that the final score reflected not just a one-sided match, but also the collective dreams of Holy Cross pitchers. Though they tried valiantly to regroup, the sheer offensive power displayed by George Mason is likely to echo in the halls of both universities for generations, and may result in a reconsideration of pitching strategies in collegiate baseball altogether. After all, it’s not every day that a team redefines what it means to score runs—in an inning, no less.

In summary, not only have George Mason's players etched their names into the annals of NCAA history with this monumental second inning, but they've also inadvertently carved a warning into the baseball psyche of their future opponents. If you are ever scheduled to face them, it may be advisable to bring more pitchers—or at least some extra ibuprofen for the inevitable aches and pains resulting from a grueling outing, which Holy Cross has made painfully clear can happen in a flash. Sometimes, it just isn’t your day, and, on this occasion, it genuinely was one for the ages—just not the kind that Holy Cross wanted to relive.