By Dan McGrath

The Leo Lions lived to fight another day in the IHSA baseball playoffs Thursday, downing Morgan Park 9-5 in a first-round game of the Class 3-A Marian Catholic Regional in Chicago Heights. 

The Lions will face host Marian Catholic (18-17) for the regional title Saturday at 11 a.m., with the winner moving on to the Brooks College Prep Sectional. The Spartans manhandled Thornridge 21-0 in the other semifinal.

Among Marian’s 18 victories is a 17-6 dispatch of Leo back on March 23. “I’m not making excuses, but we were short-handed that day because of Choir commitments,” Leo Coach Mike Anderson said.

And maybe there’s something to this second-season, second-chance scenario. Four days after the Marian Catholic game, the Lions lost to Morgan Park 8-6, but  looked like a different team in flipping the script with Thursday’s performance. 

“That’s how we’re capable of playing if everybody’s here and we’re locked in,” Anderson said.

Leo scored twice without benefit of a base hit in the first inning, utilizing a walk, a hit batter, two stolen bases and a wild pitch. Eddie Hernandez, Tyshawn Brown, Josh Richards and Derrick Davis III delivered singles in a three-run second, Brown’s coming on a perfectly placed bunt. Then Davis’ second hit of the day drove in two runs in a four-run fifth. 

Meanwhile, senior Michael Lewis pitched into the fifth on a yield of one unearned run with six  strikeouts before the Mustangs turned two walks, a double, a single and a sacrifice fly into three runs for a 9-4 game in the fifth.

When they scored again in the sixth, Davis replaced Lewis on the mound and shut the door with no further damage, preserving Leo’s sixth win of the season – and its most satisfying.

“It’s fun when you play like this,” Anderson said. “Everyone contributed.”

Davis needed only 21 pitches to record the four-out save, so he’ll be the starting pitcher Saturday, with Hernandez and Lewis (if necessary) behind him.

“It’s all hands on deck this time of year,” Anderson said. “We’ll be ready.”