When St. Anthony’s Brody Niebrugge blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning Tuesday afternoon, there was no way he could have known that would prove to be the winning run.

His four-bagger increased the Bulldogs lead to 6-1, and as it turned out, they needed every one of those.

North Clay rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying and go-ahead runners on base before being retired and dropping a 6-5 decision.

St. Anthony had that five-run lead and was riding a three-hitter by starting pitcher Logan Antrim entering the final inning. But after allowing five straight base runners and then reaching his 106-pitch limit, Antrim was relieved by Seth Hotze and SAHS still on top, 6-3.

Hotze give up a two-run single and a walk, but also recorded two strikeouts to earn the save and preserve the victory for Antrim and the Bulldogs.

Antrim was dominant for six innings, allowing just the two hits and striking out 12.

St. Anthony built a 5-0 lead after three innings.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the first, thanks to two errors, a base hit by Kennan Walsh and an RBI groundout by Niebrugge, who drove in three runs in the game. It became 3-0 in the second when Eli Levitt and Josh Blanchette both singled and Antrim delivered a sacrifice fly.

In the third, Eli Moore singled and scored when Niebrugge ripped a double. Colton Fearday, who had three hits in the game, then came through with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

North Clay combined two walks and an error to get on the board in the fifth.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-4 with the win. They play again Wednesday at Woodlawn.