11-Run Win Puts Hawks on Top of Pippins
2026-06-14
Riverhawks win their first series of 2026 WCL Regular Season
Box ScoreBy Larry Read
EDMONTON, AB—The Edmonton Riverhawks have emerged as the winner of their first ever West Coast League series against the Yakima Valley Pippins. Playing Sunday (June 14) at RE/MAX Field, the Riverhawks downed the Pippins 11-4 . Edmonton took two of three against the Washington State crew as they won their first series of the 2026 WCL season.
The 5,769 fans on hand witnessed a game where their team rallied from an early deficit to come away with their sixth victory of the season. Edmonton (6-8) had 11 runs on 10 hits and committed two errors. Yakima Valley (8-7) scored four times on 10 hits with two errors.
#25 Parker Burt entered the contest with the West Coast League’s top batting average (.453). with one out in the fourth inning, he improved on that figure as he sent a #53 Alan Gonzalez offering over the fence in left field. His second homer of the season made it 1-0 Pippins.
Still in the fourth, #15 Luis Garcia hit the ball straight back to Gonzalez but was able to make it to first. Garcia would score when Gonzalez tried to pick off #10 Ramone Valenzuela at first base but his throw went into right field. That made it 2-0.
The Riverhawks will get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. #10 Cole Kreisel walked, made it to second on a #57Finnigan Stewart single, stole third and then scored on an RBI single to left field off the bat of #51 Easton Andrews. That was Andrews’ league leading 21st run batted in.
Still in that inning, Edmonton loads the bases. With one out, #32 Jason Green connects with a #67 Sam Burgess offering and sends it into the wall between center and left field. That plates Stewart, Andrews and #25 Matt Vanslyke. Green winds up with a triple. Riverhawks take the lead 4-1.Green scored two batters later when Pippins catcher #5 Obveil Ramos tried to pick off #1 Shiryu Sato at first base and his throw went into right field. Sato would score when Kriesel looped a ball into left field. The home side sent 11 players to the plate in that fourth inning, scoring six runs on four hits. Riverhawks up 6-2.
The Pippins cut the deficit to four in the top of the fifth. #17 Nick Velazquez walked and scored when #7 Jay O’Neill took Riverhawks reliever #41 Trey Nance up the middle with an RBI single. That made the score 6-3.
The Riverhawks load the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning and go up 8-3. Van Slyke walks and scores on a fielder’s choice when #24 Cale Clark hits a ground ball. The next batter was #2 Drew Veatch who ripped it down the line in right field bringing Green across. Edmonton loads the bases and go up 9-3 as Andrews is hit by a pitch which pushed Clark home from third. With bases still loaded, #31 Kotaro Wakui bloops it into the gap near the shortstop. He reaches first on the RBI as Veatch comes in to score. The Riverhawks add one more as Van Slyke, the 10th batter of the inning puts into right field which brought in Cole Kriesel. Edmonton goes up by eight: 11-3.
Yakima Valley added one more run in the ninth. # 38 Gus Musial singled to left field and scored when Garciasingled .
Reliever #41 Trey Nance, the second of four Edmonton pitchers got the victory. It was his first of the WCL campaign as he pitched one inning of one hit ball, giving up a run, walked three and faced seven batters. Burgess was tagged with the loss in his WCL debut. He went three and a third, giving up five runs on five hits, with two walks and three strikeouts.
Offensively, Andrews was 1 for 4 with a run scored and two runs batted in. He was injured trying to slide home in the bottom of the eighth. His status for the coming week is unknown. Green and Wakui were both 2 for 4. Green had three RBI and two runs scored. Wakui had an RBI. Veatch was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Yakima Valley was led by Garcia and Burt. Both were two for four with a run scored and an RBI a piece.
“It was very exciting to win our first series,” said Riverhawks head coach Jake Lanferman. “ We are hoping to build off of it as we head on the road. I thought our bats and at bats were more consistent this weekend. The way we manufactured two (runs) in the ninth late yesterday (a loss) spilled over today. We need to continue to keep momentum.”
“I was impressed with Gonzalaz today,” the Riverhawks bench boss continued. “ I thought he threw really well. Owen Combs did a great job of eating up a couple of big innings for us. Strike throwing is something we are trying to find and emphasise with the pitchers to be more consistent. Especially at RE/MAX, we want to see hitters beat us. We will never be angry with a homer or a single/double in play. It lets our defence work.”
This was “Santa’s Toy Takeover!! With 880 CHED Santa’s Anonymous where fans were encouraged to bring toys to RE/MAX Field. As it was Sunday, fans were allowed to bring their dogs to the ballpark. Fans dipping into the 50/50 in this contest were extremely generous.
The Riverhawks now hit the road for seven games beginning Tuesday (June 16th) in Wenatchee, Washington against the Apple Sox. Start time is 6:35 PM PDT/7:35 PM MDT. The Apple Sox and Edmonton will play a doubleheader on Wednesday (June 17th). The extra game is a make-up of one that was rained out at RE/MAX Field earlier this season. After the four games there, the Riverhawks move onto Corvallis to meet the Knights.
Lanferman says the four games in three nights scenario will be a daunting task for both teams pitching staffs. “Travel is not going to be too awesome for us,” he laughs. “But you have to roll with it. It is a tough road trip. We have our arms now so we can establish our roles and our rotation. “
Next home game for the Hawks is Friday, June 26th when they open up a three game set against Port Angeles. Opening Pitch is 7:05 PM MDT.
The Pippins return home to Yakima Valley to begin a three game series against the Bend Elks. First game is Wednesday, June 17th with a 6:35 PM PDT start time.
EXTRA INNINGS: Lanferman on how much is he looking at wins and losses in the first half of the WCL season. “The way we started too. Going 3 and 6—winning the front half outright has to be put in the back of our minds. We just want to play good baseball and get back where we are competing. And that’s what I like. Looking at this homestand: Not so happy with the Victoria series but against Yakima---this is where we want to be. We get rolling so when the back half (of the season) hits, we are playing our best baseball. We will have a shot to be .500 or around .500, we will be in a position to compete for the overall title. “