Box Score

Hokies 1, USA 0

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - In one of the biggest upsets in softball history, the Virginia Tech softball team, behind a no-hit performance from Angela Tincher, defeated the U.S. National Softball Team, 1-0, Wednesday night in an exhibition game at Hall of Fame Stadium.

The Hokies got a run in the second inning and that would prove to be enough. Catcher Kelsey Hoffman led off the inning with a double to the right-center gap and was pinch ran for by Anna Zitt. Zitt moved to third on an illegal pitch by USA pitcher Jennie Finch and scored on a bloop two-out single by Caroline Stolle.

The 1-0 lead was the first time in 18 games for Team USA on its KFC Bound 4 Beijing Tour it has trailed as the team came in outscoring its opponents 174-3. The Hokies became just the second team to score on the Red, White and Blue as Cal State Fullerton scored three runs.

Tincher, the reigning USA Softball National Player of the Week, was a walk away from a perfect game, but struck out 10 in winning the "Tinch vs. Finch" battle. Finch took the loss, going 4.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Monica Abbott pitched the last three innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts.

The Hokies had six hits, the most against the U.S. Team this tour. Beth Walker led the way with a pair of hits while Jenna Rhodes, Erin Ota, Hoffman and Stolle each had one. All 18 players on Tech's roster who dressed got into the game.

The loss snaps a 185-game pre-Olympic exhibition tour winning streak dating back to 1996. The team's last loss, regardless of which kind of competition, came in 2007 to Japan at the Japan Cup. The U.S. team has won the past three Olympic gold medals. The Red, White and Blue haven't been shutout in any competition since at least before 2004 and it is believed to be the team's first loss against a true college team.

The 24^th-ranked Hokies (23-9) will jump back into regular season action this weekend, traveling to College Park, Md., for a three-game series at the University of Maryland. The two will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday at 1 o'clock.

The Tech/USA game will be shown on May 6 at 7 p.m., on ESPN2.