One can only wonder how well we would of done with Tincher pitching
With this hitting support
** Edited by HokienGeorjaw at 2/6/2026, 8:25:23 AM
19 Replies
5mo
Was it her velocity, her precise movement, or her placement ability? I remember watching her in action, but beyond that, my memory is hazy. Hell, I'm old now and my recall isn’t what it used to be. 😳
(In response to this post by HokienGeorjaw)
5mo
Tinch didn’t throw that hard, but she had INSANE spin
** Edited by Hokie4Life_89 at 2/6/2026, 9:51:20 AM
(In response to this post by atticus555)
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2hhoop3
5mo
it was ball movement with control mostly. I have told the story before that the best seat in the house when AT pitched and prior to TSP renovations was the fence behind the backstop under the raised bleachers. It gave a bird's eye view of the movement of her ball and her ability to work the entire frame, up or down, inside or out, at any point in the count. Yes, the rise ball was her signature but, she was in control whatever she threw. A look at her career results and stats is an amazing read and, IMO, she, Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott are the Top 3. It is doubtful softball will ever see another trio as accomplished as those three. A large piece of that is their talent but, changes in the game and philosophies make the records those 3 set likely unassailable.
(In response to this post by Hokie4Life_89)
5mo
. . . and his acolytes have taught hundreds of others but no one as approached AT. What makes her endurance more amazing is her size or better said, lack of it. She was shorter and lighter than any of the pitchers who she's compared with.
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
5mo
. . . in collegiate history. Put her any VT in the last 5 years and you would have a top 4 team with a good chance of a Natty.
(In response to this post by HokienGeorjaw)
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VT_AD
5mo
Over 1100 innings. We'd win a lot of games if the other team scored less than one earned run a game!!! This was the era of when you just stuck a pitcher out there and said pitch 'em all! If you gave her a rest then oh my!
(In response to this post by MidloHokie)
5mo
. . . a year behind her. In fact she was the Virginia collegiate pitcher of the year in 2009, the year after Angela finished. Hitting has improved dramatically since then (we never worried about anyone in the bottom half of any team's batting order back then). The average NCAA ERA has increased a full run since then. That said, AT would still absolutely dominate. She and Angela faced off once in travel ball. It was memorable. We won 1 - 0 despite AT recording 17 K's. She threw two rise balls to the backstop in tie breaker and our runner score from second. She also hit my daughter and broke her finger on her pitching hand. We saw them at restaurant after the game and she apologized.
(In response to this post by VT_AD)
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Tech76G
5mo
(In response to this post by HokienGeorjaw)
5mo
The lineup she was facing was, at that time, the best in the world.
(In response to this post by Tech76G)
5mo
That's what prompted Scot Thomas to leave Tincher in. He started thinking, "Hmmm, we could actually win this thing."
His original plan was to rotate everyone through, making sure everyone got to play, including the pitchers. But when VT went up 1-0 and Tincher was smoking 'em, Scot decided to try to win.
Edit: VT scored in the second inning. "The Hokies scored their only run in the second inning off Jennie Finch, one of 12 players on the U.S. squad that won gold at the 2004 Athens Games."
** Edited by Will Stewart at 2/6/2026, 8:38:36 AM
(In response to this post by Tech76G)
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HokieGAK
5mo
There's also a nice documentary on Youtube titled "HokieVision Presents - Miracle on Dirt"
(In response to this post by Will Stewart)
5mo
(In response to this post by HokieGAK)
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vt49701
5mo
Of Hokie sports history.
That win was as impressive as it gets.
(In response to this post by Will Stewart)