Riverhawks Avoid Sweep, Power Past HarbourCats
2026-06-11
Riverhawks hold a pair of rallies and finish series with a 9-5 win
Box ScoreBy Cody F. Schmidt
Looking to turn things around as they cap off the series, the Edmonton Riverhawks faced the Victoria HarbourCats for the final meeting of the West Coast League season. With 2724 fans lining the stands of RE/MAX Field, the Hawks took an early lead and built on it in the back half of the game.
The Riverhawks combined for 12 hits, 5 of which went for extra bases. The Hawks also worked 6 walks, while pitching tossed 9 Ks. Thanks to a 6 inning start by David Sheppard (hitless into the 4th), the HarbourCats were held quiet through the majority of the game. All but two Hawks in the lineup were on base multiple times as the home team only had a single inning where they went down in order.
After a three-up-three-down top from starter #38 David Sheppard, the Hawks headed to the plate with a leadoff hit from #1 Shiryu Sato. Moved to second from a fielder’s choice, Sato scored thanks to a smash single from #51 Easton Andrews that made three HarbourCats collide as the ball touched down.
The 2nd was similarly easy for Sheppard. While he gave up a walk for Victoria’s first baserunner for the game, he still retired three other HarbourCats within 10 pitches total. As the Riverhawks came back to bat they immediately returned to laying the bat on the ball. #25 Matt Vanslyke led off the inning with a smash single to the outfield. the next three Hawk batters all made contact, but they went for a fielder’s choice, a double with a tag on the bases, and a groundout to first to prevent Edmonton from increasing their score.
Sheppard continued his strong start with a 3rd inning where he struck out a pair, and forced a quick grounder to keep the Cats scoreless. #10 Cole Kreisel weathered a full count to start the bottom with a walk, then #36 Mitchell Middlemiss followed up with a single to right. Andrews knocked a wormburner up the middle, but the HarbourCats turned it around into a double play, and another grounder left Edmonton with a runner stranded on third.
Sheppard surrendered his first hits of the game in the 4th, with a couple of singles to his first and third batters, then a single through the gap in left to score a runner. A bunt hit loaded the bags with just one out, but a fly behind second base and Sheppard’s sixth strikeout of the game meant that the Hawks came back to bat with a 1-1 tie.
While the Riverhawks were unable to make a dent in the 4th, Sheppard was back at it in the 5th. With a K to his first batter, the lefty gave up a pair of tough hits before a pair of soft fly balls retired the side. An error at third benefited #2 Drew Veatch as he flew down the line to reach base before the briefly delayed toss. Veatch continued to use that speed as he stole second and third on back-to-back pitches, right as Sato walked. A sac bunt from Kreisel put Edmonton back on top as Veatch was able to make it home on the squeeze play. Andrews walked to put Hawks on the corners before #57 Finnigan Stewart rolled one that the Cats’ 3B missed for the second Victoria error of the frame. Sato scored on Easton’s error, and Andrews ran home a pitch later on a wild pitch, making it three runs in the inning scored without a hit. #32 Jason Green provided the first hit of the 5th with a drive to the right field corner for an RBI double scoring Stewart. Another HarbourCats error let Vanslyke reach base before the inning ended on a fly ball.
Sheppard pitched into the 6th, and kept Victoria at bay for another frame, with a pair of pop ups and another K to make up for his second issued walk. With two outs on the scoreboard Kreisel turned the inning around with a deep fly to left, bouncing off the wall in the corner for a double. Cole stole third base, but was left stranded from a strikeout.
Taking over in the 7th, #11 Brandon Craven hit the mound, and while he gave up a leadoff single, the runner was quickly erased thanks to Green gunning down the runner attempting to take second. Craven took charge afterwards with a strikeout and a fly ball to keep the inning clean. Andrews led off the Hawks’ half with a single into no man’s land for his second multi-hit game in a row, then an FC swapped him for Stewart at first. A walk to Vanslyke lined things up for #58 Omar Gonzalez to crush a ball to right and send a runner home. A wild cut off throw send Gonzalez to third and score Vanslyke. A wild pitch cleared the bases as Gonzalez came home to make it 8-1. A blast to the track gave Veatch another chance to showcase his speed, gunning it to third base with an easy triple. The two-out rally continued as Sato walked and stole second, but it was cut off as a pair was stranded due to a strikeout.
Craven returned for the 8th, giving up a broken bat single and a walk. An error on a grounder led to Victoria scoring their second run with no outs. A hit batter loaded the bags, and it paid off with a pair of runs coming home on a fly to left. That would be it for Craven, as he was replaced with #18 Owen Combs with no outs on the board and a pair in scoring position. While another run came home on a groundout, Combs contained the inning, including fielding a comebacker cleanly to preserve the Edmonton lead. Looking to re-establish their deep insurance the Hawks strode into the box in the bottom half and had Middlemiss work a walk before Stewart would mash to left and push the lead up a run.
Combs returned to the bump for the 9th, and after a hit batter the Hawks cleaned the game up with a fly out and a double play.
The Riverhawks’ home stand continues through the weekend as the Yakima Valley Pippins come to town for the very first time. Catch all the action through another exciting weekend at RE/MAX Field by going to gohawks.ca/tickets.