Hokies win Tiger Invitational, Tincher Breaks School Record
by Brittney Asbury
Sports Writer
February 20, 2007
The Virginia Tech Softball improved to 6-2 this past weekend, winning the Tiger Invitational while junior pitcher Angela Tincher broke the school’s career strikeout record.
The Hokies’ first game of the tournament was against Tennessee Tech, who they had already beaten twice this season. Tincher pitched five perfect innings before giving up a lead off walk in the fifth. The game remained scoreless until the sixth inning when Kelsey Hoffman scored on a double by Caroline Stolle. Tech sealed the 2-0 victory in the seventh inning when Charisse Mariconda scored off of a single by Jessica Everhart.
After topping Tennessee Tech for a third time, the Hokies went on to face a tough Tulsa team that evening. Heather Lowery got the start on the mound and was able to notch her first collegiate win. Tulsa held a 1-0 lead until the fourth inning where Tech loaded the bases then Hoffman, in a pinch-hitter role, drew her ninth walk of the season to tie the game at one. Once again, in the sixth inning the Hokies faced a bases loaded situation in which Erin Ota drew a walk to give the Hokies a 2-1 lead and eventually the win.
On Saturday the Hokies started off their day against Auburn. The game stayed scoreless until the fourth inning when Tech loaded the bases off of walks and then Everhart drove in Stolle off of a single. The Tigers threatened in the sixth but were unable to score off of Tincher who allowed just one hit and two walks.
Saturday night Tech faced University of Alabama-Birmingham, in what turned out to be an ugly, high scoring game. The Hokies jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, only to fall apart defensively in the second. Errors by Destiny Covington and Stephanie Sarve produced three uneaerned runs, making the score 5-1. Tech rallied in the fourth to take the lead 7-5, only for Alabama-Birmingham to come back and take the lead in the fifth and eventually get the 10-9 win.
After playing an sloppy game Saturday night, the Hokies faced Notre Dame in the championship game Sunday afternoon. The Irish have been a thorn in Tech’s side, winning 11 of the past 10 meetings between the two. Tincher got the start and needed only five strikeouts to break the school’s strikeout record. Tech took an early 1-0 lead in the third off of an unearned run by Jenna Rhodes. The Hokies went on to score in the fourth off of a double from Stolle. Notre Dame loaded the bases in the fifth but was unable to produce any runs. Tincher got the win as well as the school’s strikeout record. She struck out 49 for the weekend, giving her 937 total strikeouts and topping Ashlee Dobbe’s former record of 926.
The Hokies return to the diamond this weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. Tech’s first game will be against Costal Carolina on Friday, Feb. 23.