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By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

The Isle of Wight Academy softball team fell to its old rival, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, but took some comfort that it was beaten by the state’s best team.

The No. 1-seeded Lady Saints downed IWA 4-2 May 20 in a state semifinal at the Dinwiddie Sports Complex and went on to claim the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state title, beating St. Margaret’s School 6-1 May 21.

IWA players Jillian McAdoo, Anya Colyer, Abby Byrum and Andrea Savage all were named to the VISAA Division II All-State First Team. Their teammate, Kaitlyn Springle, made the all-state second team.

IWA (8-7) previously knocked off old Metro Conference rival Portsmouth Christian School 15-5 May 18 in a 5-inning game in the state quarterfinals.

The Isle of Wight baseball team finished the year with a 10-2 record, falling to eventual state champion Greenbrier Christian Academy in a state quarterfinal game.

The Chargers begin their offseason with the knowledge that they had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the top of the seventh after scoring five runs that inning against the powerful Gators, the only team to beat them in 12 contests this season. Greenbrier Christian previously defeated IWA 9-3 when the teams squared off May 3 at Hampton’s War Memorial Stadium.

Trent Holland’s 2-out double plated two and cut the GCA lead to 9-6 with two more in scoring position. The Gator hurler then coaxed an easy ground out to end the game.

Christian Biernot, Holland and James Thompson each collected two hits for the Chargers in their quarterfinal loss. Greenbrier Christian rattled IWA pitchers for 13 hits, including two of the extra-base variety. 

Isle of Wight’s Dustin Moon finished the year with a team-high .525 batting average on 21 hits, including four doubles, and five RBIs. Biernot took the team RBIs and doubles titles with 23 and seven, respectively. Trevor Mason and Holland each hit two home runs.

Biernot, a catcher, finished the year as the team’s top defender, going errorless in 45 chances. Holland was perfect in 32 total chances, and Thompson was perfect in 24 chances.