Harrison Tosses Complete Game Shut Out to Beat Black Bears

2023-07-23

Backed by 11 hits, Hawks take a 6-0 win to finish up the home stand

By Cody F. Schmidt

The Cowlitz Black Bears were barking up the wrong tree this afternoon, as the Edmonton Riverhawks celebrated a 4-0 victory. With a commanding start from #3 Dallin Harrison and a pair of extra base hits from #42 Tom Poole, the Riverhawks were in control all game. It wasn’t just the 5128 members of today’s audience howling over the Riverhawks’ performance, it was Hounds and Hawks Day with Homes Alive Pets. Pooches and Pups of all sizes came to the park. Complete with wiener dog races, displays from Edmonton Humane Society and Dogs With Wings, and pre-game frisbee show, it was a doggone great time at RE/MAX Field today.

It was all Hawks in the 2nd inning, as #42 Tom Poole led off the inning with a first pitch double belted up the line in right. Poole would get moved around to score from a pair of groundouts, getting the Hawks on the board early. With two outs in the same inning, catcher #34 Nico Libed would tap a single to keep the 2nd alive, then #31 Christian Grino would have another base hit right after. With Libed trying to steal on Grino’s hit, the Bears airmailed the toss to second. With the error on the throw, Libed would get around to score and Grino would get to third before the inning ended. with the next batter.

The Hawks protected their lead easily thanks to a complete game shutout from #3 Dallin Harrison. The Arizonan righty tossed 9.0 stellar innings, limiting the Black Bears to just three hits! Striking out eight, it was Harrsion’s fourth start in a row going at least six innings and his first scoreless start of the season. Dallin retired fifteen Bears in a row from the 4th through the 9th and didn’t walk a single hitter he faced. Being backed up by the Hawks’ bats, it was the exact kind of start the team needed to pick up a W before heading on the road.

The 5th inning stayed alive thanks to #14 Tommy Takayoshi beating out a toss that could have easily made for a double play. After #10 Jonny McGill had walked before him, Takayoshi flew down the base paths to beat the 6-4-3 play and stand safe at first. Tommy’s hustle paid off, as Poole would hit the first pitch of his AB to the wall in right for an RBI triple, his second extra-base hit of the day. The runs didn’t end there as #36 Jakob Poturnak would earn his second RBI of the game with a single through the gap.

The Hawks tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th, as McGill took his second walk of the game with two outs. Takayoshi followed with a deep hit to left, scoring McGill who took off early, and leaving the Hawks DH with an RBI triple. A wild pitch would let Takayoshi come

The Riverhawks will take this eleven hit momentum on the road for their last two away series of the year. Heading back to Washington state, the Hawks will visit the Port Angeles Lefties for a midweek set, then see the Wenatchee AppleSox over the weekend. The Riverhawks return to RE/MAX Field on August 1, welcoming the Lefties for a week-later rematch. Visit tickets.gohawks.ca to secure your spot at the final home stand!