Bulls start the season winless

By Lethbridge Herald on June 2, 2025.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Bulls find themselves winless to start the new Western Canadian Baseball League Season after going 0-3 to start a five-game road trip over the weekend.

What Bulls  head coach Ryan MacDonald thought  led them to the winless start was the walks and errors given up.

Lethbridge gave  up 19 walks  and nine errors through three games.

“It’s just hard to give yourself a chance to win when we are allowing that many extra base runners,” said MacDonald in a text to the Herald.

“What we need to do is attack hitters early and I know our defense will turn it around. It’s hard to defend walks.”

The  Bulls concluded the weekend with a 10-7 loss to the Okotoks Dawgs on Sunday afternoon.

Lethbridge saw  a 5-0 lead evaporate  by the bottom of third inning in the contest as Okotoks came back and scored six runs over three innings to  help them to victory.

The Dawgs would tack on another run in each of the seventh inning and eighth inning respectively, while Lethbridge managed another run in each of the sixth and ninth innings.

Local Bull Brennan McTavish led the way for the Bulls at the plate as he had two hits on four plate appearances, scored two runs and had two runs batted in (RBI).

Tyler Pauly was tagged with the loss after pitching  a third of an inning and giving up three runs after he walked  three batters and hit two others while the bases were loaded in the fifth inning with two outs after he came on in relief of starter Brett Getz.

Getz pitched 4 1/3 innings while giving up five runs on five hits, walking four batters and striking out three before being pulled.

The Bulls were roughed up on Saturday night as they gave up a combined 12 runs in the first three innings before giving up another five in the seventh inning in a 17-7 thumping at the hands of the Medicine Hat Mavericks.

Lethbridge scored  two runs in the first inning, before scoring one run in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings.

Lee Matsukai had good night at the plate for the Bulls as he had four hits on five plate appearances, while scoring four runs and driving in two RBIs.

Dalen Blanchard had four hits on four chances at the plate and scored a run, a home run and hit in two RBIs for Lethbridge.

Bulls starting pitcher Max Benton took the loss on the mound after pitching two innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits and six of which were earned.

Lethbridge opened their season on Friday with a 6-4 loss to the Brooks Bombers.

Blanchard  had two hits on four opportunities and scoring a run and hitting in an RBI.

Jalen Ryan scored two runs for the Bulls to lead the way in that department.

Gavin Allen took the loss on the mound for the Bulls after pitching four innings, giving up three runs on four hits and striking out five batters.

The Bulls will look to get back on track when they travel take on the Dawgs again tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge will then be in Swift Current to take on the 57s on Wednesday before their home opener on Thursday against the Energy City Cactus Rats, who are formerly the Edmonton Prospects.

MacDonald spoke about how the team hopes to get back on track during a busy week where they will play six straight games

“Everyone early thinks they have something to prove …, so we are just continuing to tell them to loosen up and just play,” said MacDonald.