How many innings for a win?

I know a starting pitcher has to go five innings for the win in a nine-inning game.

What about a seven-inning game? My old school is claiming a victory for a starter who went the first three innings on a pitch count last week. I think that's wrong.

 

I always thought the point of the five-inning rule was that the starter had to pitch the majority of a regulation game in order to qualify for the win. If you applied that logic to a seven-inning game, he would have to pitch four innings to get the win.

 

What SS said.

 

Yup. Our HS teams play 7-inning games, and I always went with four for a win.

 

That's what I'm thinking too. I just wonder if there's some different rule under the NCAA, because this was implemented and generally not questioned.

 

Shifty's right.

Page 127: http://www.ncaapublications.com/Uploads/PDF/Baseball_Rules_Bookd3de81d6-3cc9-4da4-a3ac-8ec821d37c91.pdf

Rule 10, Section 25a says "For all games of eight or more innings, a starting pitcher must pitch at least five complete innings to receive credit as the winning pitcher. For all games of fewer than eight innings, the starting pitcher must pitch at least four innings to get credit for the win."

 

ALL games fewer than eight innings?

OK, so does that rule also apply to games shortened because of a mercy rule? For instance, some states' high school associations (like mine) has a rule in place to end the game if one team is ahead by at least 10 runs after five innings or by 15 or more runs after three (and I've sat through more than my share of both over the years, I'm sorry to say).

I'm sure there's a little leeway there. For instance, if a coach takes his pitchers out after, say, three innings in what will be a 10-run rule game. He'd still be credited with the win, no?

 

That's an NCAA rulebook, Doc. I don't think there is a mercy rule in the NCAA.

You'll have to check the NFHSA rulebook for high schools. I have no idea what the rule is for five-inning mercy rule games. But, considering the spirit of the rule, as Shifty said, I think three innings pitched counts for a win in a five- (or six-)inning game.

 

There's also an exception in the NCAA rules that says if the coaches/scorekeepers/whoever agree beforehand, a pitcher can be credited with a win without having to meet the minimum requirement for innings pitched. Comes into play somewhat regularly during midweek games, when a lot of teams use a committee approach to pitching and the starter might only go three or four innings.

(The intent being, I'm guessing, to keep the guy who pitches two innings in relief from getting the win in a 21-3 game when the guy who pitches three or four as a starter deserves it more.)

 

Same rule is in the NAIA rule book, and NAIA does have a mercy rule. Hasn't come into play so far with the team I cover, because the only time they had a five-inning game, the starter went all five.

 

A mercy rule does exist in the NCAA — 10 after seven in a nine-inning game, and 10 after five in a seven-inning game.

 

I believe the NCAA's mercy rule only comes into play on Sunday games, which are typically travel days after a three-game weekend series.