Stephen Blue

The Deltaville Deltas found themselves on the cusp of their third Richmond NABA championship last week, however it was not to be. After the Deltas defeated the Richmond El Heaters by the score of 2-1 in game one of the best of three series, they fell 4-1 and 9-5 in games two and three. 

The championship was the third in four years for the El Heaters squad. The Deltas finished the season with an overall record of 17-4.

Game 1: Deltas 2, El Heaters 1

Deltas starting pitcher Bryan Bierlien turned in a complete game, six-hit performance as the Deltas took game one in Richmond on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

The Heaters struck first in the third inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly. But the Deltas tied it in the fourth when Jacob Houston stole home on a wild pitch. 

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, when Scott Crump singled to lead off the inning. After Tucker Bratton pinch ran for Crump and advanced to third base on a Brandt Brophy hit, Travis Crump laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Bratton.

Bierlien went on to pitch all nine innings, scattering six hits.

Game 2: El Heaters 4, Deltas 1

Hits were hard to come by for the Deltas on Thursday night, but pitching kept them in the lead until the seventh inning…

May play Saturday in Deltaville if a deciding game is deemed needed

The Deltaville Deltas have advanced once again to the Richmond NABA league championship series, winning the east divisional final against the Richmond Avalanche last Saturday night by the score of 15-4.

The Deltas square off with western division rival Richmond El Heaters in a best-of-three series that started Tuesday night in Richmond. The Heaters, winners of the 2020 and 2021 league titles, defeated the 2022 champion Richmond Brewers 7-4 last week in the western division final. Game two will be played in Richmond today, Thursday, Aug. 10, at Hermitage High School and, if needed, a deciding game three will be played Saturday night at Deltaville Ballpark.

This week will mark the fourth consecutive year the Deltas have advanced to the league championship. However, in each of the past three seasons, they’ve come up just short in the championship final. Their last league titles came in 2017 and 2018, where they won back-to-back championships.

Advancing to the championship meant getting past the Richmond Avalanche last Saturday night. And while things got off to a rocky start, the Deltas bats quickly turned things around…

Defeat Chester Camels 16-1;
NABA Richmond league record now 12-2

The Deltaville Deltas cruised in their only game of the week last week, routing the Chester Camels by the score of 16-1. The Deltas coasted to an easy win behind the bats of Jacob Houston and Tucker Bratton, as well as the arm of pitcher Dawson Adams. The win advanced the Deltas to 12-2 in league play, and clinched the top seed in the eastern division of the Richmond NABA with two games to go.

The Deltas played away in Richmond on Tuesday night against the Richmond Misfits, and host their final regular season game this Saturday night against two-time league champion and current western division leader Richmond Heaters. The Heaters, with a 9-2-1 record, are in a hotly contested four-team battle for the three western division playoff spots.

Depending on how western division games finish over the week, Saturday night’s 7:30 p.m. game could represent a win-or-go-home game for the Heaters, as just one game separates the four leading teams in that division, and none are clinched for the playoffs.

Benny Walker homered in back-to-back games as the Deltaville Deltas took the win in two out of their three weekend games. Deltaville solidly defeated the Richmond Dirt Devils and Richmond Avalanche by the scores of 18-5 and 18-6, before falling in a close matchup with the Tappahannock Tides, 7-5, on Sunday.

The three games concluded the most intense segment of the Deltas’ regular season schedule, which saw them play six games in 11 days, four of which they were the visiting team. Deltaville remains in first place overall in the Richmond NABA standings, with a league record of 11-2, holding a two game lead over the 8-3 Tides.

The Deltas get a break from weekday games this week, and return home rested this weekend to face the Richmond Camels in a 7:30 p.m. game at Deltaville Ballpark. They’ll hit the road next week to start the final week of the regular season with a Tuesday night matchup against the Richmond Misfits at Highland Springs High School.

The season-long winning streak of the Deltaville Deltas came to an end Saturday night, as tough pitching and a lack of timely offensive production doomed the Deltas against the Richmond Trash Pandas. Two nights after upending the defending league champion Richmond Brewers, 11-1, the Deltas fell to the Trash Pandas by the score of 5-1 in Deltaville.

With the split, the Deltas fall to 9-1 overall on the season and 8-1 in league play. However, they still remain atop the Richmond NABA east division standings, holding a two-game lead over the Tappahannock Tides (6-3) in the east division. The Trash Pandas improved to 7-2 in the west division.

This week and weekend, the Deltas face their most intense schedule of the season, taking on four opponents in six days, three of which are road games.

The Deltas return home on Saturday night for a matchup against the Richmond Avalanche. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

by Stephen Blue – 

The bats of the Deltaville Deltas lit up the night sky as if they themselves were Independence Day fireworks this past weekend, as the Deltas scored a combined 41 runs across their two games.

Deltaville soundly defeated the Richmond Misfits by the score of 24-1 on Friday night, and used a 10-run inning to leap past the Chesapeake Sharks, 15-7, on Saturday. With the wins, the Deltas remain a perfect 8-0 on the season, and 7-0 in league play, leading the Richmond NABA standings.

The Deltas face a pair of tough matchups this week. On Thursday, Deltaville hits the road to face the defending league champions, the Richmond Brewers (5-2), in a 7 p.m. game at Highland Springs High School in Richmond. On Saturday, the Richmond Trash Pandas (4-2) come to town for a 7:30 p.m. game at Deltaville Ballpark.

Set to host two home games this weekend;
fireworks display to follow Saturday’s game

A key defensive play from third baseman Dawson Adams along with clutch pitching by Spencer Crittenden stymied a six-run final inning rally by the Richmond River Dogs on Saturday night, and the Deltaville Deltas hung on to win by the score of 9-8.

The Deltas handed the River Dogs their first loss of the season while Deltaville remained a perfect win streak, improving to 6-0 on the season. But it wasn’t without a tough fight all the way to the very end.

Fourth-themed fun

The Deltas will host a rare Friday night game this weekend! At 7:30 p.m. on June 30, the Richmond Misfits will visit the Deltas at Deltaville Ballpark.

On Saturday, July 1, the day-long celebration in Deltaville will be capped by the Deltas taking on the Chesapeake Sharks! The game will start at 6 p.m., with a postgame fireworks show put on by the Deltaville Community Association following the game at approximately 9 p.m.

The Deltaville Deltas offense and defense were hitting on all cylinders last week, running away with a pair of victories in decisive fashion. The Deltas shut out the Chester Camels on the road by the score of 14-0, and hit their way past the Richmond Dirt Devils 15-1 on Saturday night at Deltaville Ballpark.

With the wins, the Deltas improve to 5-0 on the season, and are tied for first in the Richmond NABA league standings.

That tie will be broken this Saturday. The Richmond River Dogs, also 5-0 in league play, visit Deltaville Ballpark in a showdown of the league’s only teams with perfect records. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

When the bats are hot, times are good. The Deltaville Deltas had a very good time on Saturday night.

Eleven different Deltas had at least one hit, combining for a total of 18 hits, as they downed the Amelia Athletics by the score of 18-4 at Deltaville Ballpark. The win moved Deltaville to 3-0 on the young season, tied for first overall with the Richmond River Dogs.

Despite giving up a first inning run to Amelia, the final result of the game was of little question from the early going. The Deltas collected five hits in their half of the opening frame, plating six runs in an early rally capped by a Scott Crump two-run hit.

Amelia led off the sixth with a solo home run from Cole Bashinski, but Deltaville plated three more in the bottom of the inning to push the score to 18-4. After a scoreless seventh, the game was called under the league mercy rule.

This Saturday night, the Deltas return to Deltaville Ballpark for a Saturday night matchup with the Richmond Dirt Devils. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Every game between the Deltaville Deltas and Richmond Brewers over the past two seasons has been a battle. Over their past seven meetings, the teams have developed a rivalry that has seen the Brewers take four games to the Deltas three, with the run total between the teams also being just barely in the Brewers favor – 54 to 53.

Saturday night in Deltaville was another epic showdown between the Richmond NABA’s best two teams.

Deltaville used timely hitting to edge the 2022 league champions by the score of 5-3 in a fantastic game at Deltaville Ballpark.

Deltaville pitchers Gabe Espiritu and Zach Megaro combined to limit the high powered Brewers offense to just five hits. Meanwhile, timely hitting and aggressive base running by the Deltas allowed them to overcome an early deficit to secure the win.

…

Deltaville moves to 2-0 on the young season, with a slate of 15 games remaining. They return to action Saturday night in a 7:30 p.m. home game against the Amelia Athletics.

The Deltas hit the road for their first road game of the season next week, when they travel to the southside of Richmond to take on the Chester Camels in a 7 p.m. game at LC Bird High School.