Edmonton Piles On Runs In 14-10 Win
2026-06-12
Riverhawks win first ever meeting with Yakima Valley
Box ScoreBy Larry Read
EDMONTON, AB—History was made at RE/MAX Stadium on Friday (June 12). For the first time in their history, the Edmonton Riverhawks played a West Coast League game against the Yakima Valley Pippins.
Before 4,544 fans on “Baseball goes Bollywood” night, the Riverhawks won a wild one, 14-10 over the team from Washington State. Edmonton scored 14 runs on nine hits while Yakima Valley had 10 runs on 12 hits and committed two errors.
The Pippins (7-5) entered the fourth contest in the WCL South , a game and a half out of first place. The Riverhawks (4-7) seventh in the WCL North , four games out of top spot.
Yakima Valley got on the ‘sticks’ early. Top of the first inning, after getting the first batter, Riverhawks starter #14 Chase Halvorson gave up back-to-back singles. That brought up the man possessing the top batting average in the WCL: #25 Parker Burt of the Pippins. He slammed a rocket over the wall in left field for a three-run round tripper. His second homer of the season gave the visitors a 3-0 advantage. Halvorson, from Everett Community College and Mill Creek, WA gave up five runs through five innings on eight hits striking out two and walking three in his first West Coast League start.
When the Riverhawks came to bat in that inning, they closed the deficit to a pair. Pippins starter #42 Joshua Mawhinney walked the first two batters he faced (one of them was leadoff hitter #2 Drew Veatch). Veatch would score Edmonton’s first run when #57 Finnigan Stewart hit a hot shot to Yakima Valley’s #15 Luis Garcia who had it drop out of his glove. Edmonton made it a 3-2 game when #32 Jason Green hit a long ball to right center. He picked up the sacrifice as #10 Cole Kreisel was able to cross the plate from third. They then tied it as, with the bases loaded for the second time in the inning, #31 Kotaro Wakui walked to bring home #51 Easton Andrews to tie things up. The next batter, #34 Tony Moore was hit by Mawhinney to bring home the go-ahead fourth run (Green). That did it for Mawhinney as he was pulled in favor of Pippins #28 Beau Lloyd. Wawhinney lost his first start after two victories to begin the 2026 WCL season. He surrendered seven runs on one hit in a third of an inning.
Lloyd promptly gave up a passed ball which resulted in #25 Matt VanSlyke sliding home to make it 5-3. Lloyd’s ‘passed ball’ itis continued with the next Riverhawks batter (#15 Braeden Scott) which brought in Wakui. The next batter was the ninth of the inning: Veatch. He put it into the gap in straight away center which plated Moore to make it 7-3 in an inning which saw 10 Riverhawks come up to the plate.
The Riverhawks enlarge their lead to 8-3 in the second. Stewart led off the inning with a single to left and scored on a RBI single up the middle off the bat of Wakui.
The offensive onslaught continued for Edmonton in the third. Veatch hits a one out flare to right field, Kriesel is hit by a pitch and both score on a 2 RBI fielders’ choice off the bat of Andrews to up the count to 10-3 Riverhawks. Three batters later, with the bases loaded Wakui will launch a missile to right field. The result was that three runs score and the Niigata, Japan resident winds up with a triple. That made it 13-3.
The pesky Pippins got some offense in the top of the fifth. #26 Daichi Furuhata opened the inning with a double to left field. He would score when #67 Nick Valazquez stroked it off the wall in right center field. Velazquez would plate after Garcia lined out to right field to cut the deficit to 13-5.
Yakima continued to chip away at the Edmonton lead in the top of the sixth. Furuhata walked, got to second on a passed ball and scored on Valazquez’s two out liner down the right field line. Later, Burt will stroke it up the middle to plate Valazquez to make the score 13-7.
The Riverhawks got back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. Scott doubled to left center and scored on a walk to pinch hitter # 24 Cale Clark with the bases loaded.
#49 Cole Huebner came on in the top of the ninth for Edmonton. The local product loaded the bases and walked in a run to make the score 14-8 before surrendering a two out two RBI single to #7 Jay O’Neill. With the score 14-10, Huebner was yanked for #41 Trey Nance to get the final out.
Wakui was the top offensive threat for Edmonton going 2 for 4 with five RBI and a run scored. Veach and Stewart were both 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Burt led Yakima Valley going 3 for 4 with four RBI and a run scored. Velazquez was 3 for 5 with three runs scored and two runs batted in.
The teams continue their series Saturday (June 13) at RE/MAX Field with a 7:05 PM opening pitch. It’s We're Going to the Cottage: Pride Night!
Presented by Smith Thompson Law LLP
2026 Pride Jersey Auction in Support of Pride Tape & The Riverhawks Community Foundation.
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