Bulls open season with a sweep

The Lethbridge Bulls opened the 2012 season in a positive way as they swept the Edmonton Prospects on Saturday at Telus Field in Edmonton taking game-one by a score of  5-1 and game-two 9-8. 

In game one, Alex Regan threw a complete game to earn the win on the mound. Regan gave up 5 hits, 0 earned runs, and struck out 5 Prospects hitters. Bulls starting left-fielder Zach Rhodes led the way offensively for the Bulls going 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Joey Underwood contributed to the Bulls offense with a 2-for-3 performance and Bretton Gouthro went 1-for-1 with 3 runs scored. 

In game two, Jake Hansen got the start for the Bulls but only threw 1 complete inning before being removed from the game due to a lower-body injury. The Bulls then called upon Brody McDonald to relieve Hansen of his starting role; McDonald was touched up for 6 earned runs on 4 hits in 1/3 of an innings work. 

The Bulls trailed 7 - 0 through 2 innings and 8 - 2 after 4 innings of play, but the Bulls were resilient to surrender and were looking for a momentum swing in the ball game. This momentum swing came in the 6th inning when Jesse Sawyer launched a 3-run home run to cut the lead to 3 runs. The Bulls scored a total of 7 runs in the 6th inning and led 9 - 8 heading into the final inning of play. Jeremey Filipek closed out the ball game for the Bulls earning his team the opening day sweep of the Prospects.

The Bulls bullpen was the story in game two as Davis, Lencucha, Walker, and Filipek combined for 5 2/3 innings pitched surrendering only 1 earned run. Offensively the Bulls were led by Joel Blake who went 3-for-4 in the game and Jesse Sawyer who went 1-for-4 with a 3-run home run; Rhodes, Fagnan, and Underwood contributed with two-hit performances. 

The Bulls travel to Medicine Hat on Sunday to take on the Mavericks at 2:05pm.