Chargers victorious going into postseason

Published 7:16 pm Friday, May 21, 2021

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By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

Isle of Wight Academy was set to begin its pursuit of a state baseball championship at 5 p.m. May 18 versus Greenbrier Christian Academy.

The No. 2-ranked Gators host the No. 7 Chargers (10-1), whose ranking remained unchanged in recent weeks. Greenbrier defeated IWA 9-3 when the teams squared off May 3 at Hampton’s War Memorial Stadium.

The winner of Tuesday’s game moves on to a tournament semifinal May 21 at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights.

Since playing IWA, Greenbrier dropped contests to St. Christopher’s School and Walsingham Academy. Greenbrier (18-6) had been ranked No. 1 in Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II but dropped to No. 2 in the state pairings announcement.

Three IWA pitchers combined to defeat Windsor High School on May 14 by a score of 11-0 in six innings.

Isle of Wight posted five runs by the third inning on singles by Jackson Cofer, Ian Rickmond and Christian Biernot and an error on a ball off the bat of Kody Kosiorek.

Jake Lineberry took the win for IWA, allowing a hit over an inning, walking no batters. Zach Rusinak threw an inning of relief and Biernot was the starter, lasting four innings, allowing five hits and striking out three, walking one batter.

Kosiorek had the game’s biggest hit, a 3-RBI double — his only hit of the afternoon. Dustin Moon was 3-for-3 with a double and scored twice. Cofer was 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a run.

The Chargers also triumphed over Tidewater Academy 7-3 on May 13, wrapping up wins over six of the eight teams to qualify for the VISAA Division II Tournament.

The win also brought to a close IWA’s initial season as part of the newly reformed Virginia Colonial Conference, a campaign that saw the Chargers go 8-0 against the likes of Tidewater, Amelia Academy and Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School.

Trent Holland collected the win, drove in a pair of runs with a 2-run homer and scored twice. Biernot had two hits for the Chargers.

The IWA softball team went 2-1 on the week, defeating Windsor High School 3-0, losing to Southampton Academy 3-2 and besting Broadwater Academy 15-0.

The No. 4-seeded Lady Chargers were set to host No. 5 and traditional Metro Conference foe Portsmouth Christian School on May 18 in a VISAA Division II Tournament Quarterfinal. The winner advances to a May 20 semifinal at Dinwiddie Sports Complex in Sutherland.

The IWA soccer team finished its season with a 4-1 win against Southampton High School last week.