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By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

SOFTBALL

Isle of Wight Academy’s varsity softball team came within three outs of the state tournament championship game, falling to longtime rivals Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 5-4 on May 18 in a Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state semifinal game in Sutherland.

With IWA leading 4-3 going into the bottom of the last inning, NSA got a leadoff single from Ellie Benes and an ensuing homer from Malli Groves to walk off with the win.

The Lady Saints went on to win the Division II title May 19, rolling over Fredericksburg Christian School 13-1.

The Lady Chargers qualified for the semifinal on the strength of a 5-4 upset victory May 16 versus Miller School of Albemarle in Crozet.

BASEBALL

The IWA varsity baseball team was met with stout pitching and defense in its 4-2 loss to The Covenant School in the VISAA Division II play-in game between the No. 9 Eagles and the No. 8 Chargers.

Ryan Steeper pitched 6.1 innings to earn the win and move the No. 9 Eagles (10-9) to a quarterfinal showdown May 16 against No. 1 Highland School in Warrenton. Highland vanquished the Eagles 5-1.

Steeper’s 113-pitch performance against Isle of Wight was supported by three Covenant hits, plating four runs despite stranding 11 runners over six innings.

IWA (10-9) stranded two runners in the sixth inning when it scratched out a run to cut the Covenant lead to 4-2. The Chargers’ Jackson Cofer and Jason Chapman were the only two IWA players to reach base via hits. 

IWA SPRING SPORTS BANQUET

The following awards were conferred on students at IWA’s Spring Sports Banquet:

Junior varsity baseball

MVP: Hunter Collins

Varsity baseball

Defensive Player of the Year: Ian Rickmond

Coaches Award: Alex Holt

MVP: Jackson Cofer

Golf

MVP: Jake Scholes

Co-Most Improved: Sawyer Conrad and Spencer Conrad

Top individual spring sports honors

Male Sportsman of the Year: Jude Powell 

Female Sportsman of the Year: Macy Hooper

Male Athlete of the Year and The Taylor Pierce Scholarship Award Winner: Jackson Cofer

Female Athlete of the Year: Hannah Edwards

Edwards signed paperwork to attend and run track next year at Lynchburg College.

During her career at IWA, Edwards broke 13 records in indoor and outdoor track and cross country.