Basketball player Sincere Moore capped off a stellar year at Virginia Peninsula Community College by being named an NJCAA Division III Region 10 honorable mention All-American. Earlier, he was named first-team all-region and made the all-rookie and all-academic teams in the region.
Athletics Director Chris Moore, no relation, said Sincere (Matoaca High School/Chesterfield) is the first basketball player to be named an NJCAA All-American. Several baseball players have received the honor, however.
“That’s a testament to him and his hard work and dedication, and just the type of kid he is,” the athletics director said. “I’m just very, very thankful for him and excited for him. I’m just glad he chose Virginia Peninsula Community College and I’m glad he was able to make history here for our men’s basketball team. I don’t think anyone has received this many accolades in one year.”
Meanwhile, teammate Chris Hayes (Nansemond River/Suffolk) announced he will play at Randolph College in Lynchburg next year. Keshaun Johnson (Nansemond River/Suffolk) previously announced he received a scholarship from Chowan University (N.C.). Three other sophomores are being recruited and could make their decisions by May 1.
Chris Moore also announced he is holding a basketball prospect camp May 17 at SafeHaven Empowerment Center. It’s for current and potential VPCC students interested in playing men’s or women’s basketball next season. The women’s camp is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with the men’s camp to follow from 1-3 p.m. Email moorec@vpcc.edu or athletics@vpcc.edu for more information.
Baseball
The Gators lost two of three Region 10 games to Paul D. Camp Community College with each game being decided by a big inning.
Things began April 18 with Camp winning 8-7, using a seven-run fifth inning to erase a 6-1 deficit. The hosts took advantage of three errors by the Gators to score six unearned runs. Offensively, Aidan Feather (Grassfield High School/Chesapeake) had two hits (a double and a triple), scored twice and drove in a run for VPCC. Cameron Johnson (Nansemond Rover/Suffolk) added two hits and two runs, and Brendan Walker (Lancaster) and Anthony Tortorice (Catholic HS/Virginia Beach) each had two RBIs.
That was followed a day later by a doubleheader split at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton. The Gators won the first game 12-11 before losing the second 14-13.
In the first game, the Gators (13-27, 10-11) scored five in the fifth and two in the sixth to overcome an 11-5 deficit. Feather, again, was at the center of VPCC’s offense, with four hits and five runs batted in. His two-run single in the sixth proved to be the difference, and he also had an RBI double, a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly. Johnson, Israel Dozier (Kempsville/Virginia Beach), Marco Fernandez (Spanish River/Fla.), Walker and Tortorice each had two of the Gators’ 14 hits. Both of Dozier’s hits were doubles, and Fernandez had a home run. Wilson Estep (Walsingham Academy/Williamsburg) earned the victory on the mound, going two innings and giving up one hit and no runs.
The Gators jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second game, but an eight-run inning by the Hurricanes gave them a 13-4 lead. The Gators responded with a five-run sixth. After Camp scored its final run in the seventh, VPCC scored four in the eighth and had the tying and winning runs on base. The big hits for the Gators were a three-run double by Fernandez in the sixth and a two-run single by Walker in the eighth.
Feather had three hits and two RBIs in the series finale, and Dozier, Johnson and Alvarez also had two hits. Fernandez drove in five runs.
The Gators close out Region 10 play with a three-game series at Surry Community College (N.C.) on April 26 and 27. The Saturday doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., as does Sunday’s single game. For more information on VPCC athletics, visit www.vpccgators.com.