Photos by MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech sports marketing employee Dustin Key adds to Hokies pitcher Angela Tincher's all-time strikeout count.

Angela Tincher winds up for the pitch that resulted in her 2,000th career strikeout on Tuesday against East Carolina at Tech Softball Park.

MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Angela Tincher is introduced Tuesday prior to her final regular-season softball game at Tech Softball Park.

BLACKSBURG -- Last fall, Angela Tincher got to compete in the U.S. Olympic Selection Camp with the likes of Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Tech ace joined Abbott and Osterman in an exclusive club when she became just the third softball pitcher in NCAA history to record 2,000 career strikeouts.

Tincher rang up 15 strikeouts and threw a five-inning no-hitter as Tech squashed East Carolina 11-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.

The James River High School graduate finished the game with 2,002 career strikeouts.

"It's just really exciting. I had no idea four years ago that I'd be pitching as much or that that [milestone] would happen," said Tincher, a senior. "It's just kind of unreal to think about 2,000. It just seems like a big number.

"I wasn't even thinking about the no-hitter because, I was thinking about the strikeouts so much."

Tincher (30-6) was hugged by her parents, Denny and Susan, and her 11-year-old sister, Abby, after the game. The All-American had arranged for her sister to serve as the bat girl for the game.

Tincher's parents were joined in the stands by a number of relatives on the cold, windy afternoon.

"I didn't know how relieved I would be, so I can't imagine what she's feeling," said Denny Tincher, who taught his oldest daughter to pitch when she was a child growing up in Alleghany County. "It got bigger and bigger as the season went on."

Tincher was already in third place on the Division I career strikeout list, trailing only Abbott (2,440) and Osterman (2,265).

"They're such great pitchers -- [2008] Olympic team, College World Series -- so just to be on the same list is really, really exciting," said Tincher, who leads Division I this year with 531 strikeouts.

It was the regular-season home finale for the 18th-ranked Hokies (41-15), who are now idle until the ACC tournament, which will be held May 8-11 at Maryland. It was likely Tincher's final outing at Tech Softball Park; the Hokies aren't a safe bet to host an NCAA regional.

Tincher was glad she was able to reach the milestone at home.

"It's kind of perfect," she said.

"I didn't want to see her going all the way from now to the ACC tournament with that hanging over her," Denny Tincher said.

"Now she can relax and focus on softball. One of the final, big goals has been accomplished."

A countdown sign in the stands was changed to 1,999 after Tincher struck out Paige Baggett to open the fifth. Fans stood and cheered when Tincher struck out Sissy Jimenez on a riseball for No. 2,000.

"I just didn't want to be the one," Jimenez said with a laugh. "Her riseball, it's tricky. It looks like it's going to be a fatty and then all of a sudden you start swinging at it and it jumps up above your hands."

Tincher was congratulated by catcher Kelsey Hoffman and the infielders after her 2,000th strikeout.

The game was stopped so coach Scot Thomas could collect the ball. Tincher received the ball and a plaque from Hoffman and Thomas in a postgame ceremony.

It was Tincher's 13th career no-hitter against NCAA competition, which doesn't count the no-hitter she threw in March to beat the U.S. national team.

She walked one batter and hit two.

Jenna Rhodes had three hits and scored two runs in Game 1, while Erin Ota had two hits and three RBIs. Beth Walker hit a two-run homer.

Tincher did not pitch Game 2, which ECU (33-26) won 4-1.

First game

East Carolina 000 00 -- 0 0 0

Virginia Tech 013 7x -- 11 13 1

Riggs and Moreno, Shaw (4); Tincher and Hoffman. W-- Tincher (30-6). L-- Riggs (3-4). HR-- VT: B. Walker (3).

Second game

East Carolina 200 002 0 --4 5 0

Virginia Tech 000 000 1 -- 1 3 2

Swann and Moreno, Shaw (5); Roark and Hoffman. W-- Swann (21-18). L-- Roark (2-6). HR-- ECU: Andrews (10).