Published: May 08, 2008 11:14 pm            

Queen of Ks

Tincher’s record-setting career nearing the end

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Angela Tincher insists strikeouts aren’t an issue when she’s in the circle. They just happen.

Often.

“I try not to think about it,” said the ace hurler for Virginia Tech’s softball team. “If I try to pitch for a strikeout that could cause problems. I try to just pitch for the outs and the wins and hope that they come along.”

They have.

The 5-foot-7 Tincher, a senior from Eagle Rock, Va., is just the third pitcher in college softball history to eclipse the 2,000-strikeout mark, joining U.S. Olympians and southpaws Monica Abbott (2,440) and Cat Osterman (2,265).

“I don’t feel like I can compare myself to them because I have seen them pitch on the Olympic team and they’re both a lot different pitchers than I am,” said the right-handed throwing Tincher, who has posted a 116-31 record, 11 saves and a 0.77 earned run average in 175 appearances at Virginia Tech.

A three-time ACC Pitcher of the Year, Tincher, who has 2,012 career punchouts, is second to Osterman in career strikeouts per nine innings, recording 13.5 to Osterman’s 14.3. Those strikeouts are nice, but not what Tincher is all about.

“I’ve got to make sure I keep people off base and that we win first and if the strikeouts comes that is good, but if we win and I don’t have any strikeouts, that’s fine too,” said Tincher, who is the ACC’s all-time leader in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. “I wouldn’t want to work on getting strikeouts and walk people and lose the game or something that, it’s not worth it.”

Tincher did her job on March 26. The Hokies shocked the U.S. National Team 1-0, breaking that team’s remarkable 185-game win streak that dated back to 1996. The highlight was Tincher no-hitter.

“You just want to make the game as close as you can and see if something can happen,” Tincher said. “I think when we pulled up and they were beating DePaul like 23-0, that was a little intimidating because you know they have that power, but to see them do it right before your game, I was like ‘that’s great’.

“We started holding them for a few innings, and you could tell that our team defensively was going to do everything to keep them from scoring so that gave me some confidence too. Every inning you’re throwing against such good hitters, one pitch could tie it up easily.”

Yet, Tincher never allowed a hit, while striking out 10, defeating Jennie Finch, who — along with softball legend Lisa Fernandez — was one of her role models growing up.

“It was unreal, I was hoping there would be some way for us to win, but I just didn’t think they wouldn’t get a hit,” said Tincher, who was finally able to watch herself in action earlier this week on ESPN2. “That was not something I expected. Even after six innings, you figure that someone is going to drop one down and or someone is going to put one through the hole some how.

“We’ve gotten a lot of attention since then. It’s still kind of unreal that it happened so it’s really been exciting to see how much everyone is excited about it.”

Tincher has been creating excitement for a long time. Performing for James River High School, a small Group A school near Buchanan, Tincher led the Knights to a pair of state championships. Yet, there were still those who doubted her chances at the next level.

“I think a lot of people were thinking ‘Well, it’s only Single A’ and didn’t really know how I would stack up against bigger competition in college and I didn’t either,” Tincher said. “I understand and that was fine.”

While Tincher started playing softball at age nine, it was two years later when she realized pitching was what she liked best.

“I really liked pitching when I started, I really liked being involved in the game all the time and just everything about it,” Tincher said. “It was kind of like a challenge to learn something new, I liked it from the beginning.”

Still, as her prep career wound down, questions lingered about what Tincher could do at the next level.

“When you get other people kind of questioning it and I wasn’t sure either if I would make it here because there were a lot of pitchers that had experience against better competition,” said Tincher, who fanned a pair of Olympians in a tournament only a couple of weeks after graduating from James River. “I wanted to go to a big D-I school, as big as I could go softball-wise.

“When I came on the visit here, I just liked everything about it. It really helped that they were going in the ACC because that was a good conference so that made a big difference.”

It didn’t take Tincher long to prove her worth to Virginia Tech head coach Scot Thomas. She made 36 appearances as a freshman, including 30 starts, compiling a 21-9 mark and a 1.06 ERA with 349 strikeouts in 204.1 innings.

“There was a game early in the season when he went to me in relief against South Carolina and that was a big game for us,” said Tincher, whose 26 strikeouts in a 2006 game with Nevada is her career high. “I went in in relief and had a save in the first game and got the start in the second game.

“I think that’s when I realized he trusted me and could use me in those situations and I realized I can hold my own too.”

That started a career that has only gotten more impressive by the start. She has 13 career solo no-hitters, one combined no-hitter, two perfect games and the hitless gem against the U.S. National Team.

“I just try to throw everything 100 percent,” said Tincher, who followed her freshman season with records of 26-9, 38-7 and she’s 31-6 so far as a senior with an 0.56 ERA. “It’s easy to kind of get in a groove and relax a little bit and that’s when you’ll slip a pitch so I try not to let that happen.

“I’ve just always enjoyed doing it so much that I like practicing and working on things.”

That work has resulted in 111 double-digit strikeout games — including 30 in 33 starts this season. She mixes an assortment of pitches, from a riseball that can approach 70 miles per hour, along with a drop, curve and changeup.

“I mix a lot more than I used to. I used to rely on my riseball too much because that was the only pitch I was really comfortable with,” said Tincher, who followed her freshman campaign with strikeout totals of 504, 617 and currently has 542 this season in just 269.2 innings. “I’m a lot more comfortable with my drop, my changeup and my curve now.

“If you throw just one pitch, people can kind of figure it out after a while.”

Unlike a baseball mound that is 60 feet, 6 inches from the plate, Tincher is just 43 feet from the batter. That be intimidating for both sides.

“It’s close for us too, you don’t have much reaction time, somebody can hit back at you, but I have kind of gotten used to it,” said Tincher, who is also an excellent fielder. “It’s not as intimidating to see how close they are any more, the batters are used to it too, but it really is a quick pace.”

While it might seem like hitting Tincher is about as fun as having teeth pulled, she never feels like the batter is thinking about the inevitable strikeout that could be about to happen.

“I don’t think they ever do that, I wished they did, but I don’t feel like they are doing it,” said Tincher, who doesn’t bat for the Hokies. “It definitely gets harder because the scouting reports are out on you and people know what to expect and they know what to lay off of.

“It’s challenging to try and keep up with and there are certain teams that are better at certain pitches so it definitely isn’t easy. I don’t think I’ve ever had people come up and just know they’re going to strike out and nobody wants to so it’s not easy.”

No. 17 Virginia Tech (42-15) will play Florida State in the second round of the ACC Tournament today, having rallied past Maryland 7-4 on Thursday. The Hokies are hoping to defend the title won last season, and secure a third straight regional berth.

“I think we have the potential, we have played Arizona, UCLA, Northwestern, some top-ranked teams and we’ve won some of those games,” said Tincher, who fanned 21 in an 11-inning loss to eighth-ranked Arizona. “I think we have shown the potential to play at this level and it’s just important how it comes together in the postseason. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time...

“I just hope this week we can make it through the tournament and win the ACC title again. I think we have the potential to repeat, we want to get back at the top of the conference.”

While Tincher’s Virginia Tech career is winding down, her days on the diamond are not. She was selected by the Akron Racers with the third pick of the National Professional Softball League draft and will pitch for them this summer.

“I think it’s going to be a good summer job, it’s not near the level of the men’s professional sports, but just to be able to play and continue, it’s definitely worth it,” said Tincher, a dean’s list student with a 3.84 grade point average who will return to Tech in the fall to seek an MBA.

Her ultimate goal is to play for the same team she defeated in March.

“That’s definitely one of my goals,” said Tincher, who helped the U.S. to the gold medal in the World University Game in Taiwan in ‘06. “I don’t know how they’re going to deal with the team after the Olympics, but I would definitely like to get a tryout again and see if I can get involved in that.”

First of all, Tincher wants to leave Virginia Tech on a high. She’s already made a lifetime of memories.

“I think the highlight before this year would be the ACC title last year, that was probably the most exciting thing for us,” said Tincher, who is almost assured of being a three-time All-American selection. “It was such a big goal of ours and just to see our team come together like that was really big.

“I think after this year I think the USA game will probably be the highlight.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

        

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