As his Evergreen Park career winds down, senior pitcher/infielder Leo Lesauskis is considering the possibility that it will also be the end of his baseball career.
Lesauskis plans to attend Moraine Valley Community College but has not decided if he will try to play baseball for the Cyclones.
“I can go to Moraine for free for two years because I’m in the top 10% academically,” Lesauskis said. “I’m going to take advantage of that. But baseball, I haven’t decided yet.
“I’m still iffy about it. I know it’s possible these will be my last few weeks of baseball, so I’m just trying to have fun and play my best.”
He made the most of the moment Wednesday.
Lesauskis shook off some early struggles on the mound to turn in a strong outing and came up with a huge, go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning to lift visiting Evergreen Park to a 6-4 win over T.F. South in a South Suburban Conference crossover in Lansing.
Concordia Chicago recruit Alejandro Munoz went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs for the Mustangs (19-8, 12-5), who narrowly stayed atop the tight SSC Red standings ahead of Oak Lawn and Reavis. Axel Rubalcava added an RBI single.
Rakim Ali was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for T.F. South (17-13, 9-7 SSC Blue). Moises Mata finished 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Tyler Earmsmuth went 2-for-3 with a run.
The Red Wolves took a 4-0 lead with four runs in the third inning, but Lesauskis shook that off to go six innings without allowing another run.
“The offense kind of helped me pick it up,” Lesauskis said. “I knew this was a must-win game and I didn’t really have a choice. I just had to go out there and get outs for my team.”
Lesauskis also came through at the plate as the Mustangs turned the game around by scoring four runs with two outs in the fifth.
T.F. South intentionally walked Jack Hughes to bring up Lesauskis, who ripped a two-run double to right-center to give Evergreen Park a 5-4 lead.
“Jack’s having an insane season, so it didn’t really surprise me,” Lesauskis said of the intentional walk to Hughes. “I’ve been struggling at the plate lately, too.
“I’ve hit into some bad luck, but you just have to keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve got to be aggressive, too. They’re going to fall at some point.”
Evergreen Park coach Mark Smyth was not surprised to see Lesauskis — who transferred from Mount Carmel before his junior season last year — rise to the occasion.
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“I told the guys that was the definition of manning up and being a senior,” Smyth said. “Not having your best stuff early and then finding a way to get it done, that’s huge.
“Leo’s just that guy for our team. He really is. We’re lucky he came over to us, that’s for sure. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
T.F. South, which had a nine-game winning streak snapped Tuesday by Oak Forest, dropped its second game in a row.
“We’re still playing good baseball,” T.F. South coach Matt Tiffy said. “We’ve got a young group that’s learning. This game turned around fast. Evergreen Park didn’t quit, they battled back. We battled, too, but kudos to them.”
The Red Wolves had the tying runs at second and third in the seventh, but sophomore Michael Rodriguez got a game-ending groundout to record the save.
Rodriguez said he was inspired after watching Lesauskis pitch.
“I want to step up like him next year,” Rodriguez said. “I’m trying to learn from him. He’s been a great senior captain.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.