By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

Zach Rusinak and Jackson Cofer each had two hits as Isle of Wight Academy defeated its old rivals Tidewater Academy 11-3 on April 13.

Pitcher Trent Holland earned the win for the Chargers, pitching three innings, holding the Warriors hitless and scoreless while walking one and fanning five.

Holland also drove in a run, as did Trevor Mason, Christian Biernot, Kody Kosiorek, Cofer and Zach Rusinak. Biernot scored two, as did Cofer.

Isle of Wight got the scoring started in the home first inning with a Trevor Mason RBI single that plated Dustin Moon. IWA got two more runs across later in the inning when Cofer grounded to second base and reached on an error, scoring Thompson and Mason.

A Rusinak single to center also plated Cofer in the third inning with two outs. IWA catcher Christian Biernot doubled home courtesy of runner Ian Rickmond to make it 5-0 in the fourth inning. Kody Kosiorek later singled to left, scoring Biernot, to extend the Charger lead to 6-0.

After Holland bunted into a fielder’s choice in the fifth to score Alex Holt, making the score 7-0, TA scratched back to score three runs in the sixth. But the Chargers responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to make the score 11-3.

IWA, once again, finds itself as conference rivals with Tidewater. The school announced last year it was rejoining the Virginia Colonial Conference. IWA was a charter member of the Virginia Colonial Conference since its inception, dating back to when the conference name was the Virginia Commonwealth Conference.

In the 1970s, Isle of Wight Academy was a member of the Virginia Academies Athletic Conference. In addition to Tidewater, current conference members are: Amelia Academy, Banner Christian School, Brunswick Academy, Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot, Kenston Forest School, Richmond Christian School and Southampton Academy.

The Lady Chargers softball squad began its season with a 1-2 record. IWA lost to Brunswick Academy, 4-3, and bested Tidewater 17-2. IWA was also defeated by traditional rival Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 8-2.