Mother Nature defeated the Deltaville Deltas twice last weekend, with storms wiping out both scheduled games against the Richmond Yankees and the Richmond El Heaters.
The Deltas had built a 6-0 lead in the first three innings of Saturday night’s game against the Yankees. A pair of RBI hits from Jacob Houston and another from Travis Crump sparked the Deltas offense. Starting pitcher Gabe Espiritu had pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. However, lightning storms forced the suspension of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Sunday’s road contest against the El Heaters was rained out as well.
This weekend, the Deltas will host their final regular season home game against the Virginia Aces. Before the game, the Deltas will honor longtime Deltas public address announcer Mike Ward, who is stepping down after over 40 years as “the voice of Deltaville Ballpark.”
Ward joined the Deltas in the 1980s and has been a fixture of Saturday nights at Deltaville Ballpark ever since. In the 1990s his role expanded to color commentary when the Kilmarnock radio station, WKWI, did live broadcasts of games. Ward helped install the ballpark’s first sound effect system, adding between innings music and sound effects via a tape deck — a feature at the time normally reserved for professional stadiums. WKWI play-by-play announcer Tom Davis said, “The music definitely livens up the crowd. It gives a major league feel to a good ol’ ballpark in the country.”
Ward also managed and expanded the ballpark’s sponsorships and promotions during the 90s and 2000s. Through his initiatives, promotions, giveaways and special events at games became commonplace.
First pitch on Saturday night will be at 7:30 p.m., with the ceremony honoring Ward starting shortly before the game.
