Riverhawks Weather Rain Delay to Win First Meeting With Berries

2026-07-10

A 9-2 victory with a two hour delay goes for the Hawks

By Cody F. Schmidt

It was the first trip to RE/MAX Field for the Marion Berries, as they rolled in to start a weekend series with the Edmonton Riverhawks. Despite a two hour delay caused by a sudden storm and a swampy field, the Hawks played on and took the W on an extended Friday night game.

Winning 9-2, the Hawks came alive after the rain delay scoring three runs as soon as play resumed. The Berries were unable to respond until the 8th, but by then the Riverhawks had ran the score up enough that it wasn’t an issue. Riverhawks pitching kept up with the batters as they combined for 14 strikeouts and

It was the fifth start of the season for #30 Sam Coxen, and he began the game with an easy 1st. Just a rolling hit allowed amongst a litany of fly outs. His 2nd was even better as a pair of strikeouts started an easy 1-2-3 frame. Coxen had barely gotten off the mound before a huge dark cloud covered the field and the rain started pouring down. After a deluge of rain and nearly two hours of effort from the grounds crew to clear the field, the Hawks were able to get back in action.

After play resumed at 9:35 and #51 Easton Andrews, the second batter up smacked a ground rule double to the wet warning track to get things going. A bloop hit behind first base from #13 Jaxon Fox was enough to send Andrews home and give the Hawks their first run. #30 Oliver Clements followed up with a double up the middle to get another run. The two-out rally continued as #1 Shiryu Sato dropped the frame’s second GRD and its third RBI.

After the lengthy delay, Coxen’s arm was no longer warm, so the call was made for #21 Myles Chamberlain to take over for the 3rd. Chamberlain’s first frame of work carried the momentum from Coxen’s start with a trio of strikeouts, though a dropped third strike and a bunt single gave a little danger.The 4th went similarly well for Chamberlain with a strikeout in his three-up-three-down inning.

The 5th belonged to #18 Owen Combs, who started off with a swinging K, tossed another whiff, then came back from a 3-0 count to induce an easy fly ball to left. In the bottom of the 5th the Hawks headed to the box with the top of order due, Sato drilled a single up the third-base line, then moved a base up on a wild pitch. After #48 Max Stagg’s walk, #39 Chris Parkin hit into a fielder’s choice that put runners on the corners. Another fielder’s choice to #3 Jason Green was enough to score Sato, Andrews knocked another big hit to score Parkin, then #36 Mitchell Middlemiss drove a ground rule double to the track in dead centre to make it 6-0 for Edmonton and cause the Berries to make a pitching change that finished the 5th.

Combs pitched another 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts in the 6th, working quickly to retire the side without issue. Combs gave up his first hit in the 7th, but thanks to a spectacular catch from Green in foul territory, the Berries were reigned in.

Green followed up his inning-ending catch with a leadoff single in the bottom of the 7th. #53 Gianluca Montanaro was plunked, but then erased from the bases on a double play. A close rundown to first let Middlemiss get an RBI hit to send Green home, then Fox followed with his second RBI single of the game.

#60 Heath Hachkowski got the assignment for the 8th and ran into early trouble, giving up a pair of singles to put Berries on the corners with no outs. A single to right gave Marion their first run of the game. A sacrifice fly gave Marion another, and after giving up another hit to the Berries, Hachkowski was taken out of the game with just 0.1IP. #35 Logan Colville took over with runners on first and second. Colville took command and struck out a pair to end the top of the 8th with no further damage.

In their last trip to the box the Hawks stayed hot with hits from Stagg and Green that brought in one last run.

#46 Donovan Wallace got the final inning on the bump and immediately mashed the Berries with Ks as he struck out the side to secure the victory.

The series continues tomorrow night as the Berries return for the middle game of the set. First pitch is at 7:05 and tickets are still available at tickets.gohawks.ca!