Madison Inscoe shines with bat and arm as Nansemond-Suffolk Academy beats Isle of Wight to win third consecutive softball state title
Madison Inscoe capped one of the area’s most illustrious high school softball careers in recent memory with another brilliant performance. It led Nansemond-Suffolk Academy to a third consecutive Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship.
Inscoe, a North Carolina State-bound senior, pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 in the top-seeded Saints’ 1-0 victory over No. 3 Isle of Wight Academy in the Division II state final on Friday at the Dinwiddie Sports Complex. She also doubled and scored the only run for the Saints (24-2) with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
“Madison played great and she pumped everyone up,” Saints coach Brittany Thornburg said. “She plays with such enthusiasm and energy that the team rallies around her.”
The Chargers (11-6), who beat No. 2 St. Margaret’s of Tappahannock 7-4 on Thursday in the semifinals, threatened Inscoe with two outs in the first inning on consecutive singles by Andrea Savage and Nora Pie. Inscoe ended the rally with a flyout and was in control the rest of the afternoon.
Chargers ace Lorraine Upton was good as well, limiting the Saints to just three hits on the afternoon and holding them scoreless for the first five innings. NSA’s breakthrough came thanks to Inscoe’s double to start the sixth.
Inscoe moved to third on a groundout by George Mason recruit Maya McGowan. Then, with two outs, she scored on a single past shortstop by Maya’s younger sister, freshman Marin McGowan, to give the Saints the 1-0 lead.
“There was no stopping Madison after that,” Thornburg said.
Inscoe put the Chargers down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game, on consecutive flyouts and a game-ending grounder to second. The Saints then celebrated a third consecutive state title since IWA won the D-II crown in 2018.
“This feels great, especially for the seniors who have won state championships all three years on the high school level,” Thornburg said. “We lose Madison and Maya and Rory Rockwood, but we have some good players back, like Marin McGowan, who will replace Madison at pitcher, and some good talent coming up from the junior varsity.
“We’ll definitely have to work hard to win (the state title) again, but we’ll still be in the running.”
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 1, Isle of Wight Academy 0
IWA: 000 000 0 - 0 3 3
NSA: 000 001 x - 1 3 0
W-Inscoe. L-Upton.
