LEO-CEDARVILLE — DeKalb came all the way back from six runs down once.

The second time, the Barons only made it halfway.

Leo busted open a close game with a six-run fifth inning and survived a three-run rally by DeKalb in the sixth to clinch the Northeast 8 Conference baseball championship with a 12-9 win Friday.

The Barons rallied after trailing early 6-0 to tie the game in the fourth on Brady Vince’s two-run homer, but had an untimely streak of generosity in the fifth.

Four walks, a hit batsman and two errors paved the way for the Lions to score six runs on only two hits and take a 12-6 lead. The tiebreaking run was walked in.

“In tight ball games like that you’ve just got to control what you can control,” DeKalb coach Collin Bice said. “They put balls in play, they took advantage of opportunities and unfortunately they came out on top.

“We lost momentum, we stole it back, we lost it and had it again. That was a game you never really knew where it was going to go. Up until the seventh inning we had full confidence until there are no more strikes to be had.”

Leo nearly returned the favor in the sixth, walking the first three Baron batters. Landon Slattery relieved starter Landon Ruoff with the bases loaded and none out.

The Barons (19-4, 5-2) got three runs on a sacrifice fly by Drake Hall and a two-run double by Miles Brockhouse, but could get no closer.

Hall and Brockhouse both drove in three runs.

The Lions scored six times over the first three innings. Two DeKalb errors helped them score twice in the first and leadoff hitter Nolan Butcher launched a three-run double to the fence in center in the second.

DeKalb started its comeback in the third on an RBI hit by Brockhouse and a run-scoring double by Ashten Tuttle.

Hall’s two-run double in the fourth was followed by Vince’s round-tripper.

“It’s a tough one but it doesn’t define who we are,” Bice said. “Next week (in the sectional), that’s big time. It’s tough to lose that one in the last few innings but we just have to control what we can control and keep doing the little things right.”

The Lions completed a perfect NE8 slate in a 10-7 home win over Huntington North Saturday to start a doubleheader. The Vikings won the non-conference second game 16-9. Leo finished the regular season 20-5 overall, 7-0 in the NE8.

Pendleton Heights sweeps Barons

At Huntington University’s Forest Glen Park Saturday, Pendleton Heights swept a doubleheader from DeKalb 7-3 and 5-0.

In game one, a six-run fourth inning by the Arabians was the difference. Colin Axel-Adams had a triple and drove in three runs.

Aydan Parr hit a solo home run for the Barons. Tuttle and Brockhouse each had a hit and a run batted in. Bryson Gadson was the starting and losing pitcher, allowing six earned runs and six hits in four and one-third innings, striking out six, walking four and hitting two batters.

In game two, multiple Pendleton Heights pitchers shut out DeKalb on four hits and struck out 10.

Brendan Vance allowed an unearned run on four hits in five and one-third innings of relief for the Barons. Brockhouse, Vince, Hall and AJ Ross had a hit apiece.

DeKalb ended the regular season 19-6, 5-2 in the NE8.