Isle of Wight Academy senior pitcher Ashley Major has committed to playing softball with Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.

Last year’s Most Valuable Player in the Virginia Independent Schools Division III, Ashley chose the Yellow Jackets over Virginia Wesleyan and Methodist University.

“I just really liked the college and liked the campus,” she said. “I talked to a lot of the girls on the team on Facebook and they were very welcoming. Also my brother (Styles) goes there.”

Gene Major is thrilled with his daughter’s choice.

“We like the college,” Major said. “We go up there for football to see my son and it’s close enough to home that it will be easy to go to tournaments.”

IWA Softball Coach Chris Cooper believes Ashley will do well with the Yellow Jackets, who are 9-5 in their conference this season and 13-9 overall.

“She’s an excellent player,” Cooper said. “She has a good work ethic and she has invested a lot of time into her pitching. She’s one of those that thoroughly enjoys playing softball.”

“She’s a good pitcher,” he continued. “She’s not an overpowering pitcher; she can hit her spots; she can change speeds; she definitely knows how to pitch.”

Ashley is 7-2 for the season on the mound and has a .558 batting average, Cooper said. She’s hit four homeruns, including one in the park.

Ashley averages eight strikeouts per game.

“She has had some games where it was 12 to 13 strikeouts and 8 to 10 for almost every game,” Cooper said.

When she joins the Yellow Jackets on the field, Ashley will play along side freshman catcher MichaelAnne Camp, who played for Southampton Academy. Ashley has pitched to Camp in the past.

“This weekend, when I went to Accepted Student Day, there was a game at Randolph-Macon against Lynchburg,” Ashley said. “I saw MichaelAnne play. I had talked to her on Facebook, but it was the first time I got to meet her. She’s very good.”

Ashley began playing softball at age 3, has been pitching since age 8 and has played varsity ball since ninth grade.