By Larry Read

The Edmonton Riverhawks surrendered a 3-0 lead and wound up losing 5-4 to the hometown Victoria HarbourCats in West Coast League action Wednesday (July 31).It’s a critical series for both these teams as they are trying to secure spots in the 2024 WCL post season. For Victoria, it was their second straight win over Edmonton and their eighth in a row.

Riverhawks starter #14 Tate Dearing had a no hitter going for 4 and 2/3 innings. He matched a season-high six strikeouts before leaving in the sixth inning.

Edmonton scored once in the fourth inning and added two more in the fifth before the HarbourCats counted three. Two of the runs coming on a bases loaded double by designated hitter #40 Noah Couch. Crouch was 2-3 on the nightThe Riverhawks regained the lead in the top of the sixth when #12 Rex Watson singled and scored #6 Taichi Nakao who had earlier singled. Statistically Watson was 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Nakao scored twice for Edmonton.

Victoria’s # 22 Kamana Nahaku sent a rocket over the fence in left field for a solo home run: his second-round tripper in as many games to square things at 4 before #10 Michael Crossland stroked an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th to score the winning run off losing pitcher #33 Haden Knoll. Knoll pitched only one inning giving up three hits and that winning run as his season record squares at 3-3. Edmonton utilized five pitchers in the contest.Crossland was 1-3 with 2 RBI.

#16 Garrett Villa came on in the 9th for Victoria and struck out the first two batters. After #35 Trent Lenihan walked, #34 Jakob Poturnak struck out to end the game. #14 Logan McNiel got the victory. The Vancouver, BC resident is 2-1 on the year as he went two innings giving up two hits.

Poturnak was 1-5. Lenihan was 1-3.
Victoria set a new West Coast League record for steals in a season in the third inning. #25 Kerim Orucevic stole second base off Dearing. That was the HarbourCats 151st stolen base.

This game also marked the Chamberlain brothers: #21 Myles of Edmonton and Victoria’s #37 Mason pitching against each other. They battled in the sixth inning. Myles wound up going that one inning giving up a run, a hit and had a strikeout. Mason threw two innings giving up five hits, three runs, walking one and striking out two. 

The Riverhawks close out their three-game set with Victoria tomorrow night at Wilson’s Group Stadium. Opening pitch is 6:30 PM PST (7:30 PM MST). You can watch the game free on West Coast League TV (https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv). Edmonton will continue their West Coast Road trip as they move into Civic Field in Port Angeles where they will meet the Lefties for three games starting tomorrow (Aug 2). Edmonton is unbeaten in three starts this season against Port Angeles.