Mariners rally past Deltas 7-5; final battle is Friday
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| Travis Crump of the Mariners had a 2-run home run in the win over the Deltas and 4 singles in the win over the Braves. |
by Stephen Blue and Gary Williams
Middle Peninsula got two home runs in the 9th inning to erase a 5-3 deficit and post a 7-5 win over the Deltaville Deltas Friday night at Deltaville Ballpark.
Travis Crump ignited the Mariners’ rally with a 2-run home run to tie the game 5-5, and two batters later Jeb Weymouth followed with the winning 2-run homer.
The Deltas started off strong when Jimmy Denny led off the 1st inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Cheatham. The Deltas added a run in both the second and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead.
Middle Peninsula cracked the scoreboard in the 6th inning when Scott Crump scored on a William Saunders’ double to cut the Deltas lead to 3-1.
Deltaville responded in the next inning when Cameron Cecil turned on a full-count pitch and drove an arcing fly ball around the left field foul pole for a 2-run home run and 5-1 lead.
The Mariners rallied for 2 runs in the 8th inning after Scott Crump and James Moore each singled, and then scored on a defensive error by Deltaville.
J.C. Moscicki led off the Middle Peninsula 9th with a double and scored on T. Crump’s game-tying home run. Michael Helbig then drew a walk before Weymouth blasted his game-winning home run.
Helbig was credited with the win in relief for the Mariners, pitching 2 innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out 2. Dale Langford converted the save after pitching a hitless 9th. Matt Tiller started for Middle Peninsula but did not factor in the decision despite 6 quality innings, allowing 2 earned runs while scattering 9 hits and striking out 3.
Deltas starting pitcher Ryan Fleischmann was stuck with a no-decision despite 7 strong innings, allowing just one run on 5 hits while striking out 8. Will Barrack took the loss in relief, allowing a pair of 9th-inning runs. Jay Moore allowed 4 runs, 2 of them earned, in 1-plus innings of relief. Keith Parr came on to stop the Mariners rally in the 9th, allowing one hit and striking out one.
The Mariners collected 11 hits in the game, led by T. Crump, who went 2-for-3 with a single and home run. S. Crump doubled and also had 2 singles. Weymouth homered; William Saunders, David Smiy and Moscicki each doubled; and Drew Hooper and James Moore each had a single.
Cecil led the Deltas’ 11-hit night going 2-for-4 with a home run and a single while also reaching base on a fielder’s choice and an error. Jimmy Denny doubled and singled twice; Ronnie Garcia and Cheatham each had 2 singles; and Ryan Wiggins and Josh Crawford had a single apiece.
In typical Deltas-Mariners fashion, the game was a tight thriller, marking the 6th consecutive game decided by 2 runs or less, and the 5th time in 6 games the winning run was scored in the final inning.
The Mariners and Deltas face off for the final time this season Friday, July 16, in Deltaville at 7:30 p.m.
The Deltas were rained out on Saturday against the York Cannons. The Mariners defeated the Richmond Braves 16-2 last Saturday. See related articles for those game stories.