STEPHENVILLE – The Brownwood Lions overcame a three-run deficit with all four of their runs scoring in the top of the fifth inning, but the defending Region I-4A champion Stephenville Yellow Jackets rallied for a 5-4, nine-inning victory in District 6-4A baseball action Friday night.

The Lions completed the first third of the league loop with a 1-3 mark and slipped to 3-9-1 on the season.

Corbin Poston led off the bottom of the sixth with a double for Stephenville (11-3-1, 4-0) and later scored the tying run on a passed ball.

Then in the ninth, Reese Elston led off with a walk and Kyler Bowman was hit by a pitch. With one out, Elston stole third base and later scored the winning run on another passed ball.

Brownwood’s four-run fifth featured Tristan Salinas reaching on a lead off error followed by a single by Kyle Ivy. Salinas later scored an on RBI fielder’s choice by Jakob Hataway to cut Stephenville’s lead to 3-1. Case Markham was then hit by a pitch and Cole Miller reached on another error to fill the sacks. Hataway then scored on a passed ball ahead of Gavin Brandstetter’s RBI fielder’s choice that plated Markham with the tying run. Logan Posey followed with an RBI sacrifice fly that knocked in Justin Valdez, running for Miller.

Brandstetter pitched eight innings and allowed four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Ivy came in for the ninth inning and retired one batter while also walking one and hitting another.

At the plate, the Lions tallied six hits – two by Hataway and one each from Brandstetter, Posey, Ivy, and Campbell Gilmore.

The Lions will host Mineral Wells at 1:30 Saturday before starting the second portion of league play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Glen Rose.