ST. LOUIS – Four Saint Louis baseball alumni participated in the World's Longest Baseball Game on May 21-24 at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. Eric Koettker (1993-97), John Moriarty (1993-96), Greg Ortyl (1993,1995-96) and Andy Vitale (1993-96) played in the 253-inning game for Team Lange. All proceeds from the event went to the Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation.

The game, which lasted 70 hours, nine minutes and 24 seconds, is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest baseball game, the official title is “Longest Marathon Playing Baseball.” The game featured 56 players who played in six-hour shifts over the four-day event. The final scoreline was 272-246 in favor of Team Dino. Dino recorded 408 hits and committed 81 errors with 287 left on base. Lange had 384 hits with 104 errors and 263 left on. The game had 2,387 at-bats (2,580 plate appearances) and 10 home runs.

The Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation was founded by Ortyl and his wife, Becky, in honor of their son Oakes Lee. Oakes Lee Ortyl was born in 2011 with a congenital heart defect. During his short 15 months of life, he endured several major procedures, including two open-heart surgeries and a double-lung transplant. The foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to families coping with the traumatic reality of congenital heart defects, the most common birth defects in the United States. In an effort to help improve the treatment of congenital heart defects, the foundation will also endeavor to identify leading research-and-development grant recipients.

The World's Longest Baseball Game raised more than $100,000 for the Mighty Oakes Foundation.