Sporting pink caps in the first annual Batting Against Breast Cancer Campaign, the Bulls came up with some late inning heroics Saturday to beat the Regina Red Sox 3-2 in ten innings at Spitz Stadium.
 
Regina got a run off starter Matt Bannister in the second inning, but the Bulls tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame. Brendan Miller lead off with a base hit and scored on a throwing error.
 
Regina first baseman J. P. Willner lead off the fourth with a home run over the left field fence. And for the longest time it looked like that was going to be the margin of victory. Red Sox starter Eric Zittel befuddled the Bulls for most the game with a masterful three hitter going to the ninth inning.
 
But before the bottom of the ninth the Bulls emptied the entire bat rack in the dug out, throwing all the bats into the on deck circle in effort to "wake up" the dormant hardwood. The superstitious move seemed to work, as Miller lead off with a double to left field.
 
Zittel was taken out of the game following Miller's double and replaced by Zach Williams. Ken Fuglerud came in as a pinch runner for Miller, and Josh Lowden followed with a bunt single that moved Fuglerud to third. Joel Blake grounded into a double play, but that allowed Fuglerud to score the tying run.
 
Reliever Richard Pharr pitched the ninth and tenth. He gave up a hit in the ninth with one out, but got a 6-4-3 double play to quickly end the threat. In the tenth Pharr retired the Red Sox in order to set up the come-from-behind win.
 
Veteran left fielder Ryan MacDonald walked to lead off the bottom of the tenth. Eric Dorton bunted back to Williams and the Red Sox reliever attempted to get MacDonald at second, but his throw was off the mark. Then Bissonnette promptly stroked a base hit to left field to bring in MacDonald with the winning run.
 
Just before the game winning hit the Regina coach and infield met for a discussion on the mound. That gave Bissonnette an opportunity to speak with Bulls Coach Scott Rhodes.
 
"We talked about me laying down a bunt to get Ryan over to third', says the veteran shortstop. "Because Zach (Rhodes) hitting behind me is hot right now and had two hits in tonite's game. So we knew he could get the job done", he added. "But when I saw their infield crashing playing for the bunt I just looked for a pitch I could hit to an open spot and it worked out."    
 
The Bulls had six hits, while Regina got five hits. Rhodes was 2 for 4 with a double, and Miller was also 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
 
Pharr got the win and now has a record of 6 and 0. Bannister went eight innings and pitched well with the solo home run in the fourth his only real mistake. The six foot-eight right hander gave up two runs on four hits, had seven strikeouts, and walked one (the first batter of the game).
 
The Bulls up their record to 19 and 14, and increased their 2nd place lead over the Edmonton Prospects to 3.5 games as they take a two day break from league play. The club has an Alumni Game scheduled for 6:05 Sunday evening at Spitz Stadium. The
game will see a number of former players and coaches return to help celebrate the Bulls Tenth Anniversary.
 
Monday night Team Saskatchewan is in town for a 7:05 start. The game against Saskatchewan's team that will be going to the Canada Games later this summer also wraps up the Bulls 1st Annual Charity Weekend. The Bulls have teamed up with Country 95 and B-93 radio for the third annual "Strike Out Hunger Night". Fans are encouraged to bring unperishable food items to the game for donation to the Interfaith Food Bank.