It's a Shutout Sweep to Finish the Home Stand!
2025-08-03
Edmonton prevents Kelowna from scoring in entire three game set
Box ScoreBy Larry Read
EDMONTON, AB– The Edmonton Riverhawks closed the home portion of their 2025 West Coast League season the way they started it. The Riverhawks swept their opponent as part of their celebration of Fan Appreciation Day. On Sunday (Aug 3), Edmonton downed the Kelowna Falcons 7-0 . The victory was the Riverhawks 21st of the season on home field and improved their overall record to 32-18. The Falcons record dropped to 19-32.
This victory was the sixth in a row for the Riverhawks which is a new franchise record. This club also equaled the franchise high for wins in a season with 32. They have a great opportunity to break that as the Riverhawks have four more games to play before regular season campaign comes to a close.
For those keeping track, Edmonton started their season with a three-game series sweep of Victoria in early June.
The Riverhawks attracted 5,054 people for the afternoon tilt which built on the WCL single season attendance record that they broke this weekend. 131,958 people attended Riverhawks games at RE/MAX Field in 2025. Edmonton set the WCL record for attendance last season with 120, 303.
After a short rain delay in the bottom of the first inning, the Riverhawks opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. # 35 Trent Lenihan singled to left field and would score on a sacrifice fly from his UBC teammate #12 Stevie Waters. Waters sacrificed to right field to bring in the games first run. Lenihan's single extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Lenihan was 1-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Waters was 1-3 with a run scored and a run batted in to pace the Edmonton attack.
“We started this season hitting a lot scoring 10-12 runs per game, “stated Lenihan as how the Riverhawks have evolved since the start of the year. “We had that taper off but our arms stepped up. Baseball is always going to be that. If its not hitting its pitching and we have had guys step up and make it easy for us to win ball games.”
Lenihan said the team as a whole took a lot a pride in not allowing Kelowna to score a run all weekend. “The pitching staff is unreal. It is so cool to see what they have become now. They took care of business. Everyone is showing up every day has been a little bit of a mental effort but it has been awesome.”
Riverhawks head coach Jake Lanferman agreed with Lenihan that pitching was the difference this weekend. “They have done an incredible job. But all around, this is a special group of guys and the are playing great baseball. It makes our job (as coaches) easy.”
#23 Noah Brooks led off the bottom of the third inning with a shot to right field that Falcons #39 Devin Porch misjudged and the ball went over his head. While he was scrambling to get it, Brooks slid into third with a triple. # 48 Matt Stagg stepped in and took a #37 Koen Van T Klooster offering right back to him and up the middle for a single which brought Brooks in. Riverhawks led 2-0 . Van T Klooster was the losing pitcher as he went five innings, giving up four runs on four hits, striking out two and walking five. He is 1-4 on the year.
The Riverhawks started # 20 Reece Hemmerling. He was the winning pitcher moving his record to .500 (3-3). Hemmerling threw a no hitter over six innings, striking out seven and facing 20 batters. He was replaced in the seventh by # 40 Rece Allensworth.
Edmonton doubled their run total in the bottom of the fifth. # 29 Taichi Nakao doubled to left center to start the inning. #16 Kyle Yip followed up with a walk. Both scored when Lenihan hit an infield grounder. Falcons shortstop #38 Jace Nagler’s throw to first base wasn’t in time. That made the score 4-0.
In the sixth inning, Waters led it off with a ground ball and used his speed to beat the throw to first base. # 28 David Ossanna walked which brought up Brooks. Brooks laid down a bunt and raced to first. Falcons catcher #33 Justin Tsukada’s throw sailed into right field which allowed Waters and Ossanna to plate to give Edmonton a 6-0 lead. They added one as pinch runner #10 Brayden Morris scored from third on a sacrifice fly to right field by Yip. Morris came onto run for Brooks, who was shaken up when he raced to first earlier in the frame. Edmonton 7 Kelowna 0.
The Falcons threatened to score their first run of the weekend in the seventh inning. Allensworth gave up a pair of singles and had a runner at third before getting out of it when he forced # 2 Austin Burd to ground out.
The Riverhawks scored seven runs on seven hits and committed no errors. Kelowna had four hits and committed five errors.
Kelowna was led offensively by #16 Kamryn Link and #28 Lucas DeVeer who were both 1-3. # 1 Matthew Bolinger was 2-4.
The promotion this afternoon was: Christmas Comes Early! Presented by 880 Ched and Santas Anonymous. A total of $18,630.35 was raised in cash and toys for Santa’s Anonymous. It was also Fan Appreciation Day where a number of prizes were awarded to lucky seat holders. Sunday was also the Barking Bleachers event where fans could bring their dog to RE/MAX Field and sit in a special section.
The Riverhawks hit the road for their final series of the 2025 West Coast League regular season . They have four games in Victoria against the HarbourCats beginning tomorrow night (Aug 4th) . Three of the games are regular second half scheduled contest. The other is the make up of a rained out game from the first half of the season which was scheduled for June 26th. Opening pitch will be at 5:00 PM MDT at Wilson’s Group Stadium. The second game will start at 7:35 PM MDT.
“Its going to be a step up,” Lenihan stated looking ahead to the series with the HarbourCats. “ They will be a better team (comparing them with Kelowna). We can beat any team in this league. Showing up and doing the right things is what we have to do.”
“We have had an incredible back half,” says Lanferman. “ The front half of the season we were giving games away. We have learned from our mistakes and doing what we have to do to close out games. We have gotten better since the season began and seem to be hitting our stride going into playoffs.”
# 21 Myles Chamberlain is among the WCL leaders in wins with six. He will get the start in game one of Monday’s twinbill.
The Falcons return to the Okanagan for a three-game set to finish the season as they host the Wenatchee AppleSox at Elks Stadium beginning tomorrow (Aug 4).
You can catch the games for free by checking out West Coast League TV: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/
EXTRA INNINGS: Edmonton baseball fans will see the Riverhawks again in 2025. The team clinched a playoff spot going into this weekend’s series. They will be hosting at least one playoff game next weekend (Aug 8-10th) . The opponent has yet to be determined and will be solidified during the four remaining regular season games in Victoria.
The Riverhawks auctioned their “Green Onion Cake” theme jersey off following Saturday’s 11-0 win (Aug 2). The auction raised $ 14,000 towards the teams program which allows less fortunate youngsters to be exposed to baseball.