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By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

The Isle of Wight Academy varsity baseball and softball teams won their state tournament openers Tuesday, May 17, as the school’s varsity coed soccer team wrapped up an undefeated conference-title-winning season.

The No. 6-ranked IWA baseball squad defeated No. 3 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 6-5 on Tuesday in a renewal of pleasantries between longtime rivals. The teams had not met on the baseball field since March 13, 2020, just before that season was canceled by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Saints took that contest 16-1.

IWA’s softball team routed Norfolk Collegiate School 12-0 on Tuesday at IWA. 

The IWA soccer team won both the Virginia Colonial Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The ODU side took the conference championship against Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School, 2-1, to finish the year 14-0, 12-0 in conference play.

IWA’s coed golf team finished with a 23-5 record for dual matches.  

Dustin Moon was 2-for-4 with a double, scored a run and drove in four as IWA topped Norfolk Christian School 11-3 Monday, May 9, in a non-conference Senior Day baseball tilt. 

The Chargers received prolific production from the graduating class: Trevor Mason was 1-for-2, scored two runs and drove in another with a triple. 

Christian Biernot was 2-for-3 with a double, scored three times and drove in a pair. Jake Lineberry was 2-for-4, scoring and driving in a run each. Starting pitcher Zach Rusinak earned the win, pitching five innings and giving up only four hits and two earned runs. Rusinak walked four and struck out eight.

Seniors Mark Thompson, James Thompson, Dustin Moon, Jacob Chapman, Kody Kosiorek and Trent Holland also were honored before the May 9 game.

With their victory over NSA on Tuesday, the 20-1 Chargers achieved their first Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Tournament win since May 13, 2019, when they defeated Fredericksburg Christian School, 7-4.

IWA had a 2-1 mark against common opponents this season with the Saints (14-8); NSA was a perfect 3-0 against those opponents: Hampton Roads Academy, Walsingham Academy and Norfolk Christian.

The Chargers were set to play No. 2 Greenbrier Christian Academy in the VISAA Division II semifinals Friday, May 20, at 2 p.m. at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights. The state champion will be decided there Saturday, May 21, at 2 p.m. 

The Isle of Wight softball team finished its regular season with a 15-4 trouncing of Southampton Academy on May 9.

After the Lady Chargers defeated Norfolk Collegiate on Tuesday, they were set to play No. 2 St. Margaret’s School in the VISAA Division II Softball Tournament semifinals Thursday, May 19, at the Dinwiddie Sports Complex in Sutherland. The championship was set to be decided there Friday, May 20, with a rain date of Saturday, May 21.