Riverhawks Win the Second Half Thanks to the Long Ball

2025-08-06

Homers from Stevie Waters and Kyle Yip give the Riverhawks a top seed in the postseason

By Cody F. Schmidt

Two huge homers were the difference makers for the Edmonton Riverhawks tonight, as they bested the Victoria HarbourCats 7-2. This win clinched the 2025 second half WCL North Division title for Edmonton, their first division win as a team. The Riverhawks also finish the regular season with the best overall record in the North Division 34-20. That’s also a new best ever season for Edmonton, beating 2024’s 32-19. The Riverhawks were an offensive juggernaut through the season, having a positive run differential through the entire year and finishing with a total of 108 more runs scored than their opponents. This also pushed the Riverhawks’ all-time record into the positives, sitting 109-106 after the split series with Victoria.

To conclude the regular season, the Hawks battled against the HarbourCats, striking the deciding blows in the 8th and 9th thanks to a pair of bombs. Home runs contributed five of the seven runs scored by the Hawks, and pushed the teams season total of homers to 30.

The Riverhawks weren’t waiting to get things under way tonight, #1 Shiryu Sato led off the game with a standup double. After #32 Jason Green walked, #16 Kyle Yip would send the first Edmonton run home with an RBI single bouncing past the Victoria second baseman into the outfield. The Hawks were then held quiet for the next five innings, while they saw three more walks and four more hits, in that span, they were unable to get a runner past second. They came even closer in the 7th, as after a Sato single and a Green double there were a pair in scoring position. Unfortunately a new pitcher and a pair of outs spoiled the best chance to get ahead yet.

Things finally changed in the 8th, as after #36 Mitchell Middlemiss singled, and #5 Anthony Kodama reached on a bobbled E6, #12 Stevie Waters smashed a three run homer over the fence in left to give the Hawks a two run lead. The Hawks weren’t done with the long ball yet, as in the 9th, after a #35 Trent Lenihan single, Yip would smash a 2 RBI homer way over the fence to make it a 6-2 ballgame. The 9th continued as #4 Jaxon Fox would walk, then be moved to third on a pitcher’s error, and Kodama would be plunked to put runners on the corners. A single from Waters earned him another RBI, as Fox would score one more run.

While the HarbourCats struck back quickly with a 1st inning solo homer against starter #18 Mason Chamberlain, he was able to lock in and shut down the frame without letting a rally start. In only his second start of the year, the 20+ inning member of the bullpen was able to largely contain the HarbourCats through his 5.1 frames of work. Despite giving up seven hits in his appearance, Chamberlain held the HarbourCats scoreless from the 2nd through the 5th. In the 6th inning the Cats would hit a consecutive single and double to chase Chamberlain with one out. Mason issued no walks, and had one swinging strikeout in his start.

Taking over mid-6th was #2 Austin Egan, who after hitting his first batter, was able to induce a pair of fly balls to retire the side. He came back out for the 7th frame and ran into quick trouble with a walk and a single. The following sac bunt sent both runners in to scoring position, but Egan eked out a swinging K before the Hawks intentionally walked the next batter. The base-loading IBB worked out, as Egan was able to escape the jam with a fly ball to right.

Pitching the 8th with the newfound lead, #11 Brandon Craven took charge with a swinging strikeout, fooling his first batter. He would retire the side only allowing a double, as he carried the lead into the final inning. Pitching that final inning was #14 Tate Dearing, who needed just seven pitches to retire the side.

These two teams will meet again in the first round of the WCL 2025 Postseason. Winning the second half crown give the Riverhawks home field advantage through the series (while the Hawks and Cats tied in the second half standings, the Riverhawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker).

Round one schedule:

Game 1 - Friday, August 8 - Edmonton @ Victoria

Game 2 - Saturday August 9 - Victoria @ Edmonton

Game 3 (if needed) - Sunday August 10 - Victoria @ Edmonton

Gate time and ticket information will be available soon, pay attention to gohawks.ca or @EdmRiverhawks on X, Instagram, and TikTok.

Photo Credit - Christian J. Stewart