The Bulls from left to right, Greg Davis, Jeremiah Risner, Mike Anserson and Alex Henriquez warm up to play a game against the Lugnuts at Holcom Park on Wednesday, July 12.

There are many rivalries in sports, the Red Sox and the Yankees, Kansas and Missouri in basketball and to a smaller extent, the Bulls and the Lugnutz. And even though neither team can boast the money or the history of those rivalries, these two top Houk League teams always come to play.

Wednesday’s game at Holcom Park was no exception as the two teams faced one another for the fourth time this season. The Bulls had won two of the previous three meetings. They kept the trend alive Wednesday with a 4-3 victory.

“We’ve only lost three games,” Lugnutz coach Eric Neuteboom said. “All to them.”

The pitchers for both teams contributed heavily and both coaches were extremely proud of their pitchers.

“The pitching was unbelievable,” Bulls head coach Chris Hawthorny said.

Bulls starting pitcher Greg Davis set the tone of the game as he struck out the first two batters he faced and got a ground ball on the third.

Lugnut starting pitcher Kodi Masarik had a little mound magic of his own. He came to the hill in his team’s half of the inning and struck out all three Bulls hitters.

Rich DiBenedetto broke through briefly for the Lugnutz by scoring a run, but Davis continued to dominate as he struckout three consecutive batters to end the threat.

Bulls batter Mike Anderson singled, stole second and third and eventually scored. Davis showed some clought on the basepaths as well. The Bulls pitcher drew a walk and then swiped second and third base. He tried to make it three in a row by stealing home plate on a wild pitch, but Lugnut catcher Tyler Kahn recovered to make the out.

Masarik struck out two Bull batters and the scored was tied at one a piece at the end of the second.

Davis got back on the mound for the top of the third and it seemed he had forgotten the play at the plate. The Lugnutz mounted a brief threat in the inning, as Ryan McDaniel reached on a bunt single. But Davis continued to shine as he recorded three more strikeouts to end the inning.

The Bulls added a run in the bottom of the third. Masarik struck out two mor ebatters to keep pace with Davis in the bottom of third, but the Bulls managed to add a run to regain the lead.

The Bulls would add another run in the fifth to lead 3-1.

The Lugnutz tied it up in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs courtesy of McDaniel and Dakota Kunkie to pull the game even at three.

Josiah Smith relieved Masarik for the Lugnutz in the bottom of the fifth. Smith managed a strikeout, but the Bulls got a hit and coaxed a pair of walks from the new pitcher, one runner would come home to score.

The Bulls held on to capture their third win in four games.

“We walked in two runs,” Neuteboom said. “It turned out to be the difference.”