TINCHER THROWS 6.2 NO-HIT INNINGS, RACERS DEFEAT 1st PLACE Force 3-2

AKRON, OHIO- Wednesday evening’s game between the Akron Racers and first-place Philadelphia Force matched up two pitchers that each were drafted in the first three picks in the 2008 NPF Draft.

The Racers (9-8) number three selection Angela Tincher worked a gem pitching a complete game one-hit ballgame to out duel Philadelphia rookie Katie Burkhart. Tincher (5-2) struck out ten batters during the contest, and walked seven, leading the Racers to a 3-2 victory.

Philadelphia threw the Number One Selection in Katie Burkhart (4-1), who came into the game with a 0.47 ERA and a 4-0 record, but the Akron batters got to her in the first inning right off the bat. 

Norrelle Dickson led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, and was moved to second on an India Chiles base hit up the middle.

Catcher Kristen Butler then doubled into the gap to score both runners. After a Susan Ogden groundout to the right side, Butler moved to third and scored on a Kate Robinson suicide squeeze bunt. That would be all the offense Tincher and Akron would need as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Burkhart settled in after the rocky first and pitched six solid innings, striking out eight batters and giving up three runs on five hits.  Burkhart even managed to get out of a bases loaded nobody out jam in the bottom of the third without surrendering a run.

In the top half of the third, the Force chalked up their only runs of the game.  After Tincher walked Clare Burnum and Kellie Wilkerson to put runners on first and second with two outs. Two errors by third baseman Norelle Dickson on the following play, allowed both Philadelphia runners to score.

Dickson and India Chiles were both 2 for 3 for Akron, while Kristen Butler was 1 for 2 with two RBI.  In fact the Racers only hits came from the top third of their lineup.

Philadelphia’s only hit came from Kellie Wilkerson, with Tincher one out away from a no hitter, on a line drive to left field.  She was 1 for 3.

The Racers continue to host the first-place Philadelphia Force the next three nights from Thursday through Saturday. All of the games in the series will take place at 7:05 p.m. Thursday’s game will be Farmer’s Insurance Kids night and “Dollar Hot Dog” Night.

Tickets to all home games can be purchased by calling the Racers’ ticket office at 330-376-8188 or by visiting akronracers.org.