Canada Day 2009 might be one of the biggest days in Lethbridge Bulls history. The team won two crucial games over the Edmonton Prospects. The Sun Life Financial Canada Day Game in the evening attracted the largest crowd at Spitz Stadium in franchise history. And it looks like the Bulls have may found a fifth starting pitcher to add to an already-impressive rotation.

The day started early (8 am) with the club hosting a pancake breakfast for Canada Day. The event turned out to be more successful than anyone expected, with over two hundred people dropping by Spitz Stadium to enjoy flapjacks and sausages.
 
The opening game of the twin bill in the afternoon marked the starting debut for Brandon Petite with the Bulls. The Houston Astros draft pick and Vauxhall Academy grad pitched one inning last week. But Wednesday afternoon's game was his first real action and he did not disappoint.
 
Petite pitched six outstanding innings. He didn't allow a run or a hit, walked only one batter, and struck out eleven. He was locked in a pitcher's duel with Edmonton's Jeremy Goodall, and the game was still scoreless when Petite left after six innings.
 
Edmonton opened the scoring in the seventh. But the Bulls came back with two in the bottom of the frame, broke the game open with five runs in the eighth, and went on to win 7-1.
 
Richard Pharr, who replaced Petite in the seventh, was the winning pitcher. Jimmy Munnil struck out the side in the eighth and Steve Hogue came on in the ninth and also got a couple of strikeouts. In total, the Bulls pitchers struck out 16 batters in the game.
 
Catcher Jamie Mitchell had the game winning hit with a two RBI single in the seventh. Mitchell also drove in another run in the eighth and was 2 for 3 in the game. Scott Hornstra was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Jesse Sawyer had a pair of doubles, an RBI, and scored twice.
 
The Sun Life Financial Canada Day game in the evening was played before a record crowd at Spitz Stadium. Bulls General Manager Kevin Kvame says it was a complete sell out with every seat taken. Plus even more people were standing in any available space around the ballpark.
The estimated crowd was 18-hundred and 50, possibly more, and they were treated to quite a ball game. It went eleven innings, with the Bulls winning 3-2.
 
Prior to the game the Bulls held a special ceremony to recognize the club's tenth anniversary. Team founder Doug Jones was presented with a plaque and a trophy.  Bulls General Manager and President Kevin Kvame paid tribute to Mr. Jones as the founder and original owner of the club ten years ago. WMBL Commissioner Keith Jorgenson also recognized Doug for his involvement with the league for 15 years, dating back to a time when it was the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League.
 
The game that followed was another pitchers battle. Bulls starter Adam Reynolds and Edmonton's Alex Kreis both pitched shut out ball through five innings.
 
Edmonton scored two runs in the sixth on a walk, three errors by the Bulls and an RBI ground out. Josh Lowden opened the scoring for the Bulls. He lead off the bottom of the sixth with a base hit and scored on a fielder's choice. The Bulls tied the game in the eighth on an RBI single by Joel Blake.
 
The teams played through a scoreless ninth and tenth before the eventful eleventh. Steve Hogue, pitching his third inning of relief, walked Edmonton's lead off batter of the inning, then got the next man to pop up back to the mound. The third batter to the plate for the Prospects hit a high pop up behind second base that was caught by Dustin Bissonnette. The veteran shortstop then made a quick throw to double off the runner at first base.
 
That set up more dramatics in the bottom of the eleventh. Jamie Mitchell lead off and looped a base hit to center field. Ryan MacDonald was walked intentionally and Bissonnette layed down a picture perfect bunt. The ball rolled up the third base line and remained in fair territory before it came to a stop. Zach Rhodes followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought Mitchell home with the winning run. The game ended with the fireworks already going off over Henderson Lake.
 
Hogue was the winning pitcher. He didn't allow a hit in three innings, struck out two and walked two. Reynolds pitched five and one-third innings, allowed two runs on two hits, struck out four and walked three. Curtis Smith finished up the sixth. Richard Pharr pitched the seventh and Jimmy Munnil the eighth.
 
Bissonnette was 3 for 5 and Brendan Miller was 2 for 5. Rhodes was 2 for 4 and had the game winning RBI with a sac fly.
 
The win is the sixth straight for the Bulls and improves the team's record to 14 and 11. The Prospects are the visitors again as the home stand continues Thursday night. Game time is 7:05 pm.