GREENSBORO, NC – Angela Tincher pitched a no-hitter in game one, came out of the bullpen to win game two and struck out 25 batters in 10 innings of work to lead No. 25 Virginia Tech to a nonconference doubleheader sweep of UNC Greensboro on Tuesday afternoon at UNCG Softball Stadium. The Hokies won by scores of 2-0 and 5-3.
The first game of the day was an old fashioned pitching duel with both pitchers posting zeros on the scoreboard until the top half of the seventh inning when Virginia Tech (35-14) pushed across the only two runs they would need to garner the win.
Tincher (23-6) notched her fourth no-hitter of the season after striking out 18 Spartan hitters and walking two. The sophomore right-hander ranks second in the nation with 428 punchouts on the year, second only to Texas' Cat Osterman.
UNCG (18-35) starter Vanessa Oakes matched Tincher for the first six innings, before giving up two unearned runs in the seventh. The loss dropped the Wilmington, NC native to 9-14 on the year after scattering six hits and striking out five Hokie hitters.
Caroline Stolle led off the top of the seventh by lining a base hit up the middle. Stolle would move to third on a pair of throwing errors by the Spartans as the visitors loaded the bases with one out. Stolle would then score the deciding run on an Oakes wild pitch, while Kelly Brown added an RBI single to ensure the Hokies victory in game one.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tincher stuck out the first two batters she faced then walked Kelly Allen for the second time in the game. Koury Duncan came on to pinch run and would make it to second base on a wild pitch, but was left stranded as Lyndsay Mouse struck out to end the inning.
Allen wound up the only UNCG hitter to not strike out in game one. Meanwhile, Brown was 2-for-4 for Virginia Tech with one RBI.
In the nightcap, Stolle's single to right in the second inning gave Virginia Tech a 1-0 lead. That advantage held until the UNCG third when Allen connected for a three-run homer to left to give the Spartans their first lead of the afternoon.
Brown pushed another Hokie run across with an RBI single up the middle in the fifth, but UNCG still led 3-2.
UNCG starter Hannah Angel worked out of trouble all game and maintained the lead Allen provided her until the seventh inning. The freshman right-hander stranded VT runners in every inning, including a pair of runners in both the fourth and sixth innings.
In the seventh, Erin Ota led off the frame with a single up the middle. Brown then walked to bring Charisse Mariconda to the plate and she answered with a game-winning three-run shot to left, giving the Hokies the lead for good, 5-3. The longball chased Angel (5-15) from the game after giving up all five runs on 12 hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Katie Maynard started for Virginia Tech and was touched up for three runs on six hits. Tincher was called upon in the fifth and struck out seven hitters and gave up just a single to Kara Clouser in the sixth inning.
Krista Judge went 2-for-4 with a run scored for UNCG, while Allen's three RBIs up her team lead to 28 on the season to go with her team-topping six homers.
Brown, Stolle and Kelsey Hoffman each had two hits for Hokies in the nightcap.
UNCG wraps up its 10-game homestand this weekend when the Spartans host Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern. The two clubs will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 pm and a single game on Sunday at 1 pm.
AGATE
Game One 123 456 7 R-H-E
VT 000 000 2 2-6-0
UNCG 000 000 0 0-0-3
VT: Angela Tincher and Kelsey Rokey UNCG: Vanessa Oakes and Kelly Allen
W: Tincher (22-6). L: Oakes (9-14). SV: None.
Game Two 123 456 7 R-H-E
VT 010 010 3 5-12-0
UNCG 003 000 0 3-7-0
VT: Katie Maynard, Angela Tincher (5) and Kelsey Hoffman UNCG: Hannah Angel, Vanessa Oakes (7) and Leslie Furness
W: Tincher (23-6). L: Angel (5-15). SV: None.
- UNCG -
