Deltaville’s Jay Sewer paces offensive production in season closing loss to Richmond Heaters; fourth time team has settled for league runner-up honors
by Stephen Blue –
The Deltaville Deltas found themselves in familiar territory Sunday afternoon, competing in the championship game of the Richmond NABA playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. Unfortunately, the Richmond Heaters were up to the task of challenging the Deltas, outhitting Deltaville and capturing their first title with a 10-4 victory.
The Heaters jumped into the lead in the top of the 1st inning with a three-run home run. Deltaville responded immediately in the bottom of the inning, with Travis Crump and Jay Sewer driving solo home runs to cut the early deficit to 3-2.
Richmond kept pounding, however, and took advantage of a number of Deltas defensive miscues. The Heaters scored again in the second, and twice more in the third to extend their lead to 6-2. After both offenses were held in check in the fourth, the Heaters scored twice more in the fifth. Deltaville kept fighting in the bottom of the fifth, with Ryan Wiggins driving a two-run home run to cut the score to 8-4. However, that would be the end of the scoring for the Deltas, and the Heaters scored again in the sixth and seventh to ensure their victory.
Deltaville’s offensive production was paced by Sewer, who was the only Delta to collect two hits in the game. Jay Moore started on the mound. After twice defeating the Heaters during the regular season, he was hit with his first pitching loss of the season on Sunday. Paul Jones and Jason Wood pitched in relief, with Wood delivering a scoreless three innings of relief.
After the game, Head Coach Jerry Crittenden told the team, “This isn’t how we wanted to finish, but we’ve got a lot to be proud of and happy about for this season. Back in May, we didn’t know if we’d even get to play baseball this summer. We ended up getting to have a very good season, and next summer we’re going to come back and do it again.” The team also thanked all of the fans, supporters, and families who made the season great.
Deltas 14, Smokies 3
To reach Sunday’s championship, the Deltas had to first defeat the Richmond Smokies in the playoff semifinal. Devin Sisson and Nicky Wohleking led the Deltas to a breakout victory, as they plated seven sixth inning runs to surge past the Smokies, 14-3.
Wohleking took the mound for Deltaville and locked into a pitchers dual early on, and both teams were held scoreless for the first 3 innings. In the top of the 4th, Sisson broke through for the Deltas, driving a 2-run double to take the lead.
After both teams were held scoreless in the fifth, the Deltas exploded for seven runs in the sixth, with Sisson smacking his second two-run double of the game as a key component of the rally.
Deltaville scored twice more in the seventh and three runs in the eighth. The Smokies managed a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh, but it was not enough to threaten Deltaville’s lead.
Wohleking earned his sixth victory of the season, pitching five shutout innings before allowing his lone run in the sixth. He scattered four hits while striking out nine. Spencer Crittenden and Paul Jones pitched in relief.
Tyler West led all hitters with three hits on the game, scoring twice and driving in another run, while Sisson’s two-hit, four-RBI game led the scoring production. Crittenden also had a two-hit game.
