How many innings?

How many innings does the starter have to go to be eligible for a win in a seven-inning high school game?
It's causing a debate in our office.

 

Someone just asked this question a day or two ago.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/39919/

Four innings to get the win.

 

more than the midpoint. Even if they have a 15-0 lead, pitch the first two innings of a five inning game, if they don't complete the third, they dont get the win.

 

I asked our prep baseball beat guy about it. He was pretty definitive.

IF a game goes longer than four innings, the starter must go four.

Ex: Say a team wins in five innings. Starter goes three and two-thirds; reliever goes one and one-third. Reliever must get the win.

IF a game is four innings or shorter, the victory is at the discretion of the home book.

 

You sure he must go four in a five inning game? I've always credited three for five.

 

That's what I thought too, but our guy knows his shit.

 

I've got a sheet in front of me now, where the coach gave his starting pitcher credit for the win -- going the firsttwo innings in a 19-4 win.
Told the guy taking the call when it happens again, challnge the coach because it can't happen.
Too many times they'll say "well, we were ahead 14-0 and I took him out to rest him. We led when he pitched, so I'm giving him the win." And they wonder why, when the paper comes out the next day, why he didn't get credit.

 

I saw a nearby newspaper the other day have a starter winning with one inning of work in a five-inning mercy-rule game.

 

Not trying to be an ass about this, but is this not covered in the NFHS rulebook?

http://www.nfhs.org/web/2007/01/member_only_content.aspx

I'm not wearing a "Members Only" jacket, so I can't check what's on that site.

 

Very good point. But I can't get at that either.

 

Well, we were so far ahead, I wanted to give the other players the work...