BRYAN — While Bryan’s ACME baseball team had a 2-1 lead throughout the first four innings, Defiance rattled off nine runs across the fifth and sixth frames that helped the Bulldogs to a 10-7 win over Bryan on Monday at Sumpter Field in Bryan.

“I think we played really well, we had one of our best pitchers on the mound (Ike Webb) and he’s a huge competitor so we got good pitches out of him,” Defiance coach Torin Long said as the Bulldogs improved to 10-8. “Then we really got hot with the bats which is what we’ve been doing all summer so I’m really proud of them for that.”

But it was the Golden Bears (9-3) who got things going early during the bottom of the first inning.

Hunter Watson bashed a double to left field but the first two outs were recorded right after following a sacrifice bunt from Asher Sito and a strikeout by Myles Palmer.

But Jacob Uran, on the first pitch he saw, belted a two-run homer to left-center field that gave the Golden Bears a 2-0 advantage as Easton Kerr flied out to center to end that inning shortly after.

Defiance, however, got on the board the following inning as Webb drew a walk and was plated on a Mason Noirot single to left that cut into the lead at 2-1.

Bryan held that advantage up until the top of the fifth where Defiance soon took control.

Noirot and Owen Frey each drew a walk with one out before Daniel Orta smacked a single to right to plate Noirot which tied the game at 2-all.

Grady Duma drew a walk shortly after that loaded the bags up for Johnny Kissner who also drew a walk for an RBI that gave the Bulldogs the lead at 3-2.

Reid Rowlinson, with the bases still loaded, then laced an RBI single and Grady Crist tallied an RBI groundout that extended the lead to 5-2 for Defiance. While Diego Tavares drew a walk to keep the inning going, Webb popped out to the first baseman which ended the inning.

But in the sixth inning, the Bulldogs had their highest scoring frame as they scored five runs to pull further away from the Golden Bears.

Dallas Mendez whacked a leadoff infield single but Noirot and Frey both flied out to center for the first two outs of the frame.

Orta then hit a single to left and Duma drew a walk to load the bags up for Kissner, who tapped a bunt single down the left field line to plate Mendez for a 6-2 edge.

Rowlinson, again with a bases loaded opportunity, delivered big with a three-run triple to right which gave the Bulldogs a commanding 9-2 lead.

Crist followed suit with a triple of his own to right to score Rowlinson for a 10-2 advantage, and Tavares again drew a walk to keep the inning alive but Webb grounded out to conclude the frame.

“We started to take more competitive at-bats and we started hitting the ball hard, doing our job,” Long said regarding the late-inning offense. “We had a few really nice-placed bunts, so that really helped us keep the line moving. After the first time through the order, the guys started to really pick up on what the pitcher has been throwing and that’s been our big thing throughout this summer is coming in the second time through the order, know what he has, sit on a good pitch, sit on the fastball, and try to get a good hit.”

“(Quinn) Green pitched a heck of a game for us but it was a hot day and he got tired, he started walking a couple guys, but he battled up there through it all,” Bryan coach Jake Spiess said.”

Bryan, meanwhile, kept inching closer throughout the rest of the contest.

In the bottom of the sixth, Sito corked a one-out single to left and Palmer drew a walk before Uran brought them both home and cut into Defiance’s lead at 10-4 via a double to center but Kerr lined out for the second out of the inning.

Green hit the ball and reached via an error which allowed Uran to score and cut the lead in half at 10-5 Defiance, and the inning concluded as Andrew Slagle lined out.

And in the seventh inning, Bryan attempted to rally back but fell short as the Bulldogs held on for the victory.

Cole Carlin flied out to left to start the inning as Bryce Welling corked a single to center but was called out at second on a fielder’s choice that put Ethan Longoria on first base.

Watson then bashed a single to left as Sito brought home both Watson and Tyler Tipton — who replaced Longoria on the bases — via a single to left that again bit into the lead at 10-7, but Palmer struck out to conclude the inning and contest.

“I think we turned a corner today, I know we’ve been besting teams pretty heavily-handedly here recently, Defiance is always a good team and “It was nice to put those runs on them early,” Spiess said. “We hit well overall as a team today and we just couldn’t quite get it done at the end of it.”

Orta paced the Bulldogs offensively, going 3-for-3 (three singles) with two runs and an RBI.

Rowlinson (triple, single, four RBIs, run), Crist (triple, two RBIs) and Kissner (single, two RBIs, run) also helped make up Defiance’s offense.

Webb (run) got the win for the Bulldogs as he tallied two strikeouts, three walks, seven runs (six earned) and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Green (single) suffered the loss for Bryan as he fanned six but allowed five walks, five earned runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Uran fronted the Golden Bears at the plate going 2-for-3 (two-run homer, double) with four RBIs and two runs.

Sito (two singles, two RBIs, run), Watson (double, single, two runs), Palmer (run), Welling (single) and Tipton (run) made up Bryan’s offensive efforts.