By Jack Witthaus
Prep Baseball Report Writer 

Before Josh Gwaltney’s third at bat, Calvin Munson furiously yelled in the ear of the No. 9 hitter, who had struck out twice that day. 

“I just told him … he needs to go in there and be slate,” Munson said of his emotional encounter with Gwaltney in the on deck circle. “I was in the moment and I was screaming.”  

The technique worked. Gwaltley blasted a double into the right-center gap, driving home the winning run in the bottom of the fifth as Francis Howell defeated Staley, 9-6, for their second State final appearance in three years. 

“I always tell the kids that the team who makes the least amount of mistakes in the Final Four will win the ball game,” coach Tony Perkins said. “We made our share (of mistakes). But we didn’t give up.” 

With two lead changes in the game, the odds did not look to be in the Vikings favor as Staley took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth. 

Francis Howell, though, roared back in that frame when Munson lead off the inning with a triple, scoring on a wild pitch. The Vikings sent eight more batters up, plating five total runs in the inning, including a game-tying single that split the first and second basemen off the bat of Brendan Trimble.

Trimble swung the hot stick on the night with three hits, a stolen base and a lone RBI. 

“We were all just stroking the ball,” Munson said. 

Munson, who started the game for the Vikings, struck out 10 and walked three in the no-decision.

Staley immediately jumped on Munson at the beginning of the game. Leading off, Kole Hummel reached on an error and Levi McLaughlin singled. Then, in a confusing turn of events, McLaughlin and Hummel both scored on John Oliver’s double. Crossing the plate uncontested, McLaughlin scored a run on an error at third. 

Without skipping a beat, the Vikings responded in the bottom of the first with a couple of homeruns. Zac Perkins lead off the inning with a single, stole second and balked over to third. Munson then blasted a moonshot literally out of TR Hughes Ballpark to score Perkins. Nic Perkins followed suit in the next at bat with a solo shot. 

After striking out five in a row, Munson couldn’t contain Staley, which reclaimed the lead in a three-run third inning. Hummel doubled off the wall in left. Munson countered, though, striking out the next two batters. However, Jacob Waters reached first on an error at third, which scored Hummel. Brian Reagan singled to put two men on with two outs. Then Zach Stonecipher doubled home two runs.

Munson said that the Falcons were tagging both his fastball and changeup. 

“They were hitting good pitches,” Munson said. “They were a really solid team hitting. Up and down the lineup they were all hitting.” 

With a 5-3 lead, Staley tacked on another run in the top of the fourth. No. 9 hitter Cody Nutt doubled and reached third on a Hummel single. Then, McLaughlin sacrificed Nutt home on a deep fly to left field.

Hummel was two for three on the evening with two runs.

Francis Howell went tit-for-tat in the bottom of the frame, when Mitch Larkin doubled, moved to third on a single and then scored on a sacrifice to right field before the Vikings broke out with five runs in the next inning. 

Staley reliever Brain Regan took the loss after getting handed the ball in the sixth inning.  

Francis Howell will take on CBC today in the Class Five State finals at 3 p.m. 

 “I’m so excited for tomorrow,” Gwaltney said. “We’ve been waiting for it all year. (CBC) beat us earlier. It’s revenge.”