Riverhawks Stay Above Bells To Open Series
2026-06-30
The Hawks hold on to an 8-6 lead to best Bellingham
Box ScoreBy Larry Read
EDMONTON, AB—
The Edmonton Riverhawks have taken the first of a key home series with the defending West Coast League champion Bellingham Bells. The Riverhawks beat the Bells 8-6 before 5,025 fans on hand at RE/MAX for the Tuesday night tilt.
The series is key for the Riverhawks as they gauge how they fare against one of the WCL’s top franchises. The Bells finished the first half of the WCL season at second place in the North Division. Despite having an identical 19-8 record as the Wenatchee Apple Sox, Bellingham lost the first half pennant on a tiebreaker.
The Riverhawks scored eight times on 14 hits with two errors. Bellingham’s line score was six runs on 11 hits and two errors.
The home side drew first blood in the bottom of the 1st inning. #1 Shiryu Sato got aboard on a fielder’s choice and scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0 Hawks.
Bellingham got their first lead of the game in the bottom of the first. Noah Cassie singled to left field off Edmonton starter #38 David Sheppard. He would score on a fielder’s choice to tie it up. Rashad Hayes singled up the middle and scored on an error to give the Bells a 2-1 advantage.
The Riverhawks countered in their half of the 2nd. #24 Cale Clark singled down the left field line off Bells starter Kole Laubach and scored on an RBI single off the bat of #3 Devin Simonton. #48 Max Stagg got aboard on a fielder’s choice and plated on #2 Drew Veatch’s single. #31 Kotaro Wakui singled to left field and advanced to second as Veatch scored on an error while Simonton made it home to enlarge the Edmonton lead to 5-2.
Bells catcher Jake Lyall entered the game tied for fourth in the WCL in RBI with 26. He added to that total as he launched a solo shot over the fence in left field to cut the Riverhawks lead to 5-3.
The Hawks offense continued to roll in the bottom of the 3rd. With one out #57 Finnigan Stewart hit a single to right field and scored when Clark singled up the middle for the RBI and a 6-3 Edmonton advantage.
Bellingham’s Dylan Moss led off the 7th inning with a single off Sheppard to left field. He scored when Aspen Alexander hit a double which hit the wall in left center field. That sent Sheppard to the showers as he was replaced by #33 Logan Colville.
Sato led off the bottom of the seventh being hit by a pitch delivered by reliever Adam Jay. The Riverhawks shortstop would score on an error charged to Bellingham’s second baseman KG Hattori. Hawks led 7-4.
The Bells didn’t give up. Top of the 8th, Lyall was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and scored. Moss reached on a fielder’s choice and Cassie, who had earlier singled to right field came across to make it a one run ball game.
In the bottom of that inning, with one out, Stagg hit a double off the wall in left field and scored one batter later when Veatch slammed the ball off the fence in left center restoring the Riverhawks lead to two at 8-5. Both those hits coming off Kenneth Johnson who was pulled in favor of Thrasher Steed.
Sheppard was the winning pitcher going 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out seven. He is now 3-1 on the year. Laubauch was the losing pitcher. He went three innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits. As he falls to 1-1. Riverhawks’ #7 Chris Massey came on in the ninth to earn his first save of 2026 as he faced three batters, fanning two.
Offensively, Veatch, Wakui and Stewart were 3 for 4. Veatch had two runs batted in and scored a run. Wakui had an RBI while Stewart scored a run for Edmonton. Moss, Cassie and Hattori were all 2 for 4 for the Bells. Cassie and Moss both plated twice. Moss added an RBI.
The Riverhawks and Bells continue their series Wednesday (July 1) for Canada Day. Opening pitch is 7:05 PM MDT. A baseball game and one of the best views in the city for the City of Edmonton Firework show?!?! Sounds like a great time eh’, Edmonton?
Gates open two hours early on Canada Day! Grab your maple syrup. Get out the red flannels. Get ready to party.
Looking for tickets in advance? Go to tickets.gohawks.ca to secure yourself a seat. Follow along with the game at @RiverhawksGames on X and keep up with everything happening with the Hawks on Instagram, Facebook, @EdmRiverhawks, and TikTok. See all the latest news at riverhawksbaseball.com.