Record Setting Night for Riverhawks
2026-07-25
Hawks beat Falcons as they break attendance record for 4th year running
Box ScoreBy Larry Read
EDMONTON, AB—A record setting night at RE/MAX Field for the Edmonton Riverhawks.
The Riverhawks established a new West Coast League single season record for attendance as they took on the Kelowna Falcons in game two of their weekend series. 7,285 fans were on hand to see the Riverhawks take the second straight game against the Falcons. Saturday (July 25), the score was 9-4. Edmonton moving to 24-10 on the year and 10-8 for the second half of the WCL season. Kelowna falls to 25-19. They are 9-7 for the second portion of the campaign.
The 7,285 fans gave the Riverhawks a 2026 season total of 133,700 with one final home game to play. The previous WCL record, set last year by Edmonton was 131,966.
The Riverhawks wore their alternative jerseys: “The River Valley Tree Huggers” for the last time in 2026. The jerseys were auctioned off online with proceeds going to the Riverhawks Community Foundation. They went 4 and 1 wearing those special edition uniforms this season.
The Riverhawks/Tree Huggers scored nine times on 15 hits. The Falcons had four runs on six hits and committed three errors.
Edmonton got the scoring going in the bottom of the fourth inning. #13 Jaxon Fox, who committed to the NCAA Division 1 Sacramento State Hornets, opened with a single which went over the head of Falcons second baseman #4 Boogie McNeal. Fox would score when Hawks/Tree Huggers designated hitter #53 Gianluca Montanaro put it into the gap in left center and wound up with an RBI double.
The home side went up 2-0 in the fourth. Right fielder #36 Mitchell Middlemiss ‘goes yard’ in left field off Falcons starter #15 Max Biddle for a solo homer. It was Middlemiss’ third home run of the summer.
One swing of the bat evened things for Kelowna in the top of the sixth. After # 28 Nolan Ebenwein walks, #20 Rees Kozar steps in and sends a #54 Sam Wyrick delivery over the left field wall. Teams are tied at two. Wyrick-in his last start before returning to U.S. College went six innings to improve his record to 2 and 0. On this night, he gave up two runs on four hits, struck out two and walked two.
“What a way to leave an impression,’ said Edmonton head coach Jake Lanferman. “ He set the tone. After the last game against Kamloops (a 15-2 loss at home Wed July 22), we asked our players to be more hooked up in the first inning. Against the NorthPaws where we gave up seven in the first put us in a huge hole. The guys have taken that challenge to heart and have done a great job of starting strong. Allowing our offense to get some runs early.”
The left field fence was a popular place to hit home runs on this night. In the bottom of the sixth, the Riverhawks/Tree Huggers led it off with Montanaro blasting a solo homer out of the park. Edmonton ahead again by one: 3-2.
They added two more in that inning. #3 Devin Simonton singled to centerfield to plate both #24 Cale Clark and Middlemiss, who had both earlier singled. That enlarged the Edmonton lead to 5-2. That was the end of Biddle. He was relieved by # 42 Ryan Pineo. Biddle went five and two thirds innings, giving up 10 hits, six runs and striking out two. He was the losing pitcher and saw his record dip to 3 and 3.
Pineo promptly gives up an RBI double to #19 Luke Krull. That brought Simonton across.
In the bottom of the seventh, #25 Matt VanSlyke reached first on a throwing error and scored when the next batter, Montanaro hit a single up the middle for his third RBI of the ball game. It was 7-2 Edmonton. The Aurora, Ontario resident was 3 for 4 on the night with three runs batted in and a run scored.
“He has a hot bat right now,” Lanferman said about his catcher/designated hitter. He is fun to watch. He has the power upside with the ability to hit the ball to all fields. Power like he possesses is hard to find.”
The Falcons loaded the bases in the eighth inning off Riverhawks/Tree Hugger reliever Jack MacIntosh. They cash in twice. #11 Ashton Graff-Rowe singled and scored on a ground ball. Eberwein walked and was brought in on a Finley Buckner single to cut the Edmonton lead to three runs: 7-4.
But that three-run deficit was short. #51 Ethan Andrews kicked off the bottom of the eighth with hot shot to right field which Falcons right fielder #0 Kaden Prosofsky misplayed and went to the wall. Andrews scooted all the way to third base and was directed home on a throwing error charged to Kelowna shortstop #6 Cade Burnham. The next batter, Simonton walked and scored on a fielder’s choice. That upped the Riverhawks/Tree Hugger lead to 9-4.
A torrential downpour hit RE/MAX with one out in the top of the ninth prompting a rain delay. The umpires called the game a half hour later.
For Edmonton, Middlemiss was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI .
“Middlemiss is leading us in batting average (.371 going into this game) for a reason,” Lanferman explains. “ Devin Simonton had a huge single up the middle—a two RBI single to pull us away a bit. He is a high school kid playing in the WCL. Kudos to him to be resilient and find ways to impact the game.”
Simonton was 1 for 3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
Kelowna was led by #26 Xander Sielken and Buckner. Both were 2 for 4 with a run batted in. Kozar was 1 for 4 with two runs batted in.
The Riverhawks and Falcons will close out their weekend series tomorrow afternoon (July 26th) at RE/MAX Field with a 1:05 PM MDT opening pitch. It will also be the Hawks final home appearance of the 2026 West Coast League regular season.
“We still have sone unfinished business,” Lanferman says referring to a possible sweep of Kelowna on Sunday. “ A win would be massive to keep us rolling. It is a steep uphill climb (battling for one of two available playoff spots in the WCL North). It will be a fight.”
He adds, “They (Kelowna) will punch hard. They did today. I thought their approach at the plate was much better than Friday. I thought they swung the bat well and got some timely hitting. The home run from Kozar was a good one. I am excited for us. We have # 21 Myles Chamberlain (1-0) on the mound. He was our guy in the playoffs last year. Hoping he can do what we have been preaching and giving us a shot early on. I think we have dropped ten to 12 batting points in the last week—so getting 15 hits like we did tonight is a good sign.”
It will be “Fan Appreciation Day + Bouncy Castle Day!”
The Hawks will close out the season with series in Kamloops (July 28-30), Kelowna (July 31-Aug 2) and Bellingham (Aug 3-5).
EXTRA INNINGS: Riverhawks General Manager Ryan Gregg had this to say about breaking the league and team attendance record: “It is amazing to see how the community has bought into what we do down here (RE/MAX Field) and the support we are getting It’s our job to put on a good show—both entertainment and baseball. It’s amazing to see the ‘buy in’. Weather was a challenge (two rain outs and poor weather in June). I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in 2027. My message to the fans of Edmonton is “Thank You for your support.”
Lanferman on the Riverhawks setting the WCL attendance record again. “ It has been incredible. Being here all five years, its been cool to see that growth every year. Even last year, you wonder if we are going to break the record again. Will it be sustainable? The community has been so awesome to rally and support us. We owe them everything (the fans). Being a local guy, I remember playing for the Edmonton Prospects and we were lucky to get 2 to 3 thousand here. I think baseball and our product will continue to grow. It’s been amazing.”