Deltas offense explodes in fireworks game

The Deltaville Deltas split a pair of games last week, falling to the Tappahannock Tides, 3-0, on Thursday night, but found their offensive stroke on Saturday, defeating the Chesapeake Sharks 21-6.

With the results, the Deltas move to 6-2 in league play, and 8-2 overall. The Deltas return home this week for two home games on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Deltas host Caribe Baseball in a makeup of their rained out game from early June. On Saturday, league rival Richmond El Heaters comes to Deltaville Ballpark. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

Deltas 21, Sharks 6

The Deltas had their most productive offensive outing of the year Saturday night, lighting up the night sky with their bats before the post-game fireworks, as they rolled past the Chesapeake Sharks.

The Deltas collected 25 hits in the game, including three home runs. The game was never in question from the start. A string of five consecutive hits in the first inning was capped by a two-run Creston Saunders home run, and the Deltas took an early 7-0 lead.

An RBI double from Saunders sparked a five-run rally in the third inning, with S. Crump, Braydon Enoch, and Hudson McMinn also driving in runs. Chesapeake kept the game interesting by plating four runs in the fourth to make the score 12-4. Deltaville responded in the sixth with a pair of runs to make the score 14-4.

The Deltas then slammed the door on any hope for a comeback in the seventh inning, when Cam Byers hit a three-run home run, and Jett Bristow followed with a grand slam home run. Chesapeake plated a pair of runs in the eighth, not giving up, but the game was out of reach.

Nine different Deltas had multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 performance from Enoch, and 3-for-4 showings from S. Crump, Saunders, and Benny Walker. Bristow led all batters with six RBIs.

Deltaville pitched the game by committee, with Dylan Amend’s two scoreless innings of work to start the game earning him the win. Austin Shackleford pitched into the fourth inning, Justin Hale and Gabe Espiritu followed with two scoreless innings each, S. Crittenden pitched the eighth, and Kevin Cole pitched a scoreless ninth.