IOWA CITY, Iowa - In the longest game in program history, Sacramento State battled No. 15 Iowa for more than five and a half hours before the Hawkeyes scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 18th inning for a 4-3 win.

Ironically, Sacramento State (22-22) and Iowa (31-11) were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Tuesday but it was reduced to one game after weather forced the Hawkeyes to play a doubleheader on Sunday. The teams ended up playing 18 innings anyway in five hours and 40 minutes as both teams did not relent and the two pitching staffs combined to strand 38 runners on base.

In the 18th Iowa center fielder Eric Toole, in his ninth at bat of the game, led off with a single and reached third with one away after another Hawkeye single and a Hornet fielding error. After stranding the bases loaded in both the 15th and 17th innings, Iowa was finally able to get the winning run home on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of John Barrett.

No. 15 Iowa finished with four runs on 13 hits and two errors stranding 18 runners on base. The Hornets had the bulk of the opportunities until the last few innings, finishing with three runs on 17 hits and five errors with 20 runners stranded.

At 18 innings the game was three innings more than the previous longest game in program history, a 15-inning game at home vs. Seattle U last season that the Hornets won by the same score as Tuesday's game, 4-3. It was not the longest game in WAC history, however, as former league member Fresno State played a 22-inning game against San Diego in 2011.

The game was tied 2-2 into the 12th inning when the Hornets got a leadoff double from junior Nathan Lukes. After a fly out Hornet freshman Vinny Esposito drew a walk and freshman Bronson Grubbs was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sophomore Brandon Hunley hit a deep fly ball in foul territory down the left field line that was caught and Lukes came in from third to put the Hornets ahead.

Iowa's Corbin Moore reached on a throwing error to open the bottom of the 12th and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A groundout moved Moore to third, and with the infield in Hornet junior pitcher Sutter McLoughlin got a groundball to short off the bat of Eric Toole but Scotty Burcham's throw to the plate was high allowing Moore to score. Toole eventually got to third with one away but McLoughlin struck out consecutive batters to end the inning.

Both teams had several opportunities over the next six innings as Hornet pitchers Tyler Beardsley, Ryan Smith, and Jeremiah Moore continued to keep the Hornets alive. Offensively, Sacramento State had a runner reach base in each of the first nine innings and in 14 total innings in the game

The Hornets had three hits over the first two innings but did not score. In the third, freshmen Dan Deely and Devin Lehman opened the inning with singles and Lukes brought home Deely with an RBI single.

In the fourth inning Sacramento State freshman PJ Floyd drew a leadoff walk and Hunley was hit by a pitch. Floyd would be cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice but with two away Lehman singled through the right side to bring in Hunley and double the Hornet lead to 2-0.

Sacramento State senior pitcher Jake Stassi held Iowa to just two hits through the first four innings and got two quick outs in the fifth before the Hawkeyes mounted a rally. Iowa right fielder Joel Booker doubled just inside the left field line and the home team followed with three consecutive singles to tie the game 2-2. Neither team scored over the ensuing seven innings before the action in the 12th.

With three hits in the game Lukes is now just seven hits shy of the program record of 229 career hits held by Aurelio Jackson. Lehman led the team with a career-high four hits in nine at-bats in the leadoff spot while Burcham had two hits for his fourth straight multi-hit game.

Esposito and catcher Gunner Pollman also had two hits and Pollman threw out two base runners. The team's 17 hits were a season high, but 15 of the 17 knocks were singles. Similarly, 10 of Iowa's 13 hits were singles as well.

Senior Ty Nichols was literally unhittable in six innings of relief, allowing just two walks with three strikeouts and throwing just 67 pitches over six hitless, scoreless frames. He came in after Stassi allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings.

McLoughlin allowed just the one unearned run in one inning of relief, Beardsley threw four scoreless innings after that, and Smith pitched a third of an inning before Moore closed out the contest and took his first loss on an unearned run.

Iowa used eight pitchers in the game with none throwing more than four innings after starter Nick Gallagher lasted just two innings. Brandon Shulista pitched the last two innings for the Hawkeyes and allowed one hit for the win.

The Hornets face another power conference team on Wednesday playing at Notre Dame at 3:05 p.m. Pacific Time.