Bulls players and coaches watch from the dugout during their at-bat in the bottom of the first inning against the Sidewinders. The two Jhawk League teams faced off on Thursday and the Sidewinders prevailed 9-3.

When the Sidewinders took the field on Thursday to face the Bulls, they defended their unbeaten record literally.

Bull John Paul McCabe stepped to the plate in the bottom of the second with the bases juiced, two outs and his team down 5-0. McCabe sent a scorcher down the third base line that would have been extra bases for sure. But Sidewinder third baseman Garret Girard laid out for the ball and recorded the third out in the inning.

Girard’s play kept the Bulls off the board and helped his team go on to win 9-3 in Parks and Recreation Jhawk Baseball League action at Holcom Sports Complex. Before that play, Bulls coach Jeff Alderman thought the momentum in the game was beginning to sway their way.

“He got a good swing on it, but you have to give credit to the third baseman. He made an outstanding catch,” Alderman said.

After the first inning, though, the game looked like it might be out of hand by the time the Bulls came to bat in the second.

Anthony Hummell led the game off for the Sidewinders with a triple and scored on a Fernando Reynoso single. Drake Truscello and Jacob Nation added two more singles and Chris Carter and Nicholas Lewis added two more triples as the Sidewinders reached the five-run maximum without recording an out.

Sidewinders coach Ralph Sanchez said his team’s lethal offense was a result of two practices a week where the players face live pitching.

Carter started at pitcher for the Sidewinders and blanked the Bulls in the first inning while striking out two. Alderman said Carter was the fastest pitcher in the league and joked that he gave his team only one bit of advice on facing Carter.

“Step out of the way if it’s going toward your head,” Alderman said.

In the top of the second, the Bulls showed off some nifty pitching of their own after Alderman made a pitching change and put Clayton Pfeifer on the mound. Pfeifer retired the side, three-up, three-down.

Carter remained at pitcher for the Sidewinders in the bottom of the inning, but he allowed the first three hitters to reach base. However, Carter managed to keep the Bulls scoreless, setting the next three batters down with a little help from Girard’s glove at the hot corner. Unlike his team’s hitting, Sanchez said Girard’s catch wasn’t a result of practice.

“That one we didn’t work on,” Sanchez said. “He pulled that one out of somewhere and we like it.”

Bulls first baseman Greg Shipley reaches out for the ball in the top of the first against the Sidewinders at Holcom Park on Thursday. The Sidewinders eventually beat the Bulls 9-3.

A second pitching change by the Bulls didn’t work as well as the first. In the top of the third, the Sidewinders tacked on four more runs to ensure the victory. Carter knocked in a couple runs with a single and scored on a Nation double. Girard pushed across the final run of the inning with an infield single.

For the Bulls’ last at-bat, Sanchez brought in Girard to pitch and the Bulls capitalized to score three runs on hits by Daniel Bradshaw, Pfeifer and Zach Alderman. Girard kept the Bulls from reaching the run limit, though, with a strikeout to end the game.

“He doesn’t let it get to him,” Sanchez said. “He’ll get into a jam, but he can get himself out.”

With the victory, the Sidewinders walked off the field with their perfect record intact. As for the Bulls, although they didn’t win, Alderman was encouraged by his team’s effort.

“The first couple games, I don’t think we got but one or two hits for the game,” Alderman said. “Now they’re starting to actually get hits off of the pitchers as well as the coaches. It’s been gratifying to see that type of improvement over the course of the season.”