Bulls edge Giants

By Lethbridge Herald on June 2, 2023.

Herald File photo Lethbridge Bulls’ Kalem Haney quickly throws to the ball to first base in an attempt to complete the double play as the Fort McMurray Giants’ Michael Buckley slides into second base during Western Canadian Baseball League action in this June file photo. Haney is one of three local players going to the WCBL all-star game in Okotoks next weekend.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Bulls redeemed themselves on Friday night with a 7-4 win over the Fort McMurray Giants to take  the second game of a four game set at Spitz Stadium.

“…  But tonight, we found some more  barrels and cashed in the runners and you know pitchers threw well again tonight,” said Bulls head coach Chance Wheatley.

The Bulls got on the scoreboard early as they found themselves  3-0 after the first inning.

“Yeah it was really important especially with our pitching staff” said Wheatley, on getting the lead early.

“You know I think (if we) get a lead early, we’re going to be able to you know hold that down late in game this year. So you know it’s important to play with the lead for us.”

Kalem Haney led off for the Bulls with a single, before advancing to second on a wild pitch, stealing third base and scored on a Nick Gravel single.

Gravel scored on a sacrifice fly from Carlin Dick to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.

Jackson Kalisky later scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0.

Kalisky hit a two-out single in the second inning to score Haney from second base for Lethbridge’s fourth run of the game.

Jayden Shafer scored the Giants first run of the game on a  Josh McGuin ground out in the fourth inning.

Torrin Vaselenek and Cardel Dick scored on back-to-back passed balls to increase Lethbridge’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning.

Joey Marcinkiewicz scored the Bulls seventh run on a Josh Kabayama ground out in the fifth inning.

The Giants’ Garret Sloan hit a single in their half of the sixth inning and cashed in Shafer and Kaleb Lemos to cut the Bulls lead to 7-3.

Sloan added a run in the ninth for the Giants.

Both teams play the third game of the four game set tonight at 7:05 p.m.

The series will wrap up on Sunday with a 2:05 p.m. start at Spitz Stadium.