By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

The Isle of Wight Academy softball team fell to their old rivals Nansemond-Suffolk Academy but took some comfort that they were beaten by the state’s best team.

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

IWA players Jillian McAdoo, Anya Colyer, Abby Byrum and Andrea Savage all were named to the Div. II All-State Team; teammate Kaitlyn Springle made the Div. II Second Team.

IWA (8-7) previously knocked off old Metro Conference rival Portsmouth Christian 15-5 Tuesday in a five-inning game in a Div. II quarterfinal.

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

The Chargers begin their off-season 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 previously defeated IWA 9-3 when the teams squared off May 3 at Hampton’s War Memorial Stadium.

Trent Holland’s two-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 2 hits for the Chargers in their quarterfinal loss. GCA rattled IWA pitchers for 13 hits, including two of the extra-base variety.

IWA’s Dustin Moon finished the year with a team-high .525 average on 21 hits, 5 RBI with 4 doubles. Biernot took the team RBI and doubles titles with 23 and 7, respectively. Trevor Masona 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; Thompson, 24 chances.