Bulls toppled by Giants

The Lethbridge Bulls were unable to finish their final regular season home game on a winning note.

The Bulls were downed 5-2 by the Fort McMurray Giants during Western Major Baseball League play Saturday night at Spitz Stadium.

Coming off two comefrom-behind wins over the Edmonton Prospects Thursday and Friday night, the Bulls were unable to make a hat trick homestand out of it as Fort McMurray snapped a 2-2 tie with three runs in the sixth inning to come away with the win that puts the Bulls at 26-21.

The loss keeps the Bulls up half a game on the Medicine Hat Mavericks, who were in Edmonton Saturday night. The teams were tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning at press time.

The Bulls wrap up their regular season schedule this afternoon when they head to Brooks to take on the Bombers.

On Saturday night, the Giants jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Richard Ortiz singled in Garrett Takamatsu and Keegan Marsden scored on a hit from Joey Nicastro.

Lethbridge chipped away at the deficit, making it 2-1 in the bottom on the second when Jesse Hilyard doubled to left field and scored on a Nolan Handley single. The Bulls knotted things up at 2-2 in the third.

Blake MacDonald led off with a double to left field, took third on a passed ball and was singled in by Ryan Pouwells.

The Giants took the lead for good with a trio of runs in the sixth.

Richard Ortiz teed off a two-run blast for a 4-2 lead before Nicastro doubled to right field and scored on a Corey Conklin single to the pitcher.

The Bulls and Giants each had nine hits in Saturday’s game.

MacDonald was two-forthree with one run scored and Hilyard batted two-forfour with one run scored.

Handley had two hits in four at-bats and had one RBI, as did Pouwells, whose RBI was his 30th of the season.

Bulls starter Trace Francis was saddled with the loss, going six innings and allowing five runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out 10.

This afternoon’s game in Brooks goes at 2:05 p.m.