It looked like trouble for St. Ignatius. Then came the fourth inning.

The Wildcats exploded for six runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth to erase a deficit and never look back, holding on to defeat Archbishop Mitty Monarchs 6-5 Tuesday at Dekker Diamond. The comeback was fueled by patience, timely hitting, and one absolutely clutch swing from an unlikely source.

That swing belonged to Jack Callen.

Batting out of the nine hole, Callen stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered — lacing a triple after a grueling six-pitch at-bat that cleared three runners and swung the game decisively in St. Ignatius' favor. The left-handed hitter finished 1-for-2 with three RBI, the kind of performance that wins ballgames.

Mitty had looked sharp early. The Monarchs got on the board in the second with an RBI single, and Archbishop Mitty held a 3-0 advantage heading into the fateful fourth. They're start was dealing, striking out five across three and a third innings, but walks began to pile up — three on the afternoon — and St. Ignatius made him pay.

By the time the dust settled on the fourth inning, the Wildcats led 6-3.

Mitty refused to fold. The Monarchs chipped away and pulled within one, making the final innings genuinely nerve-wracking. But St. Ignatius held firm.

Leadoff man Archer Horn — fresh off his standout performance against Carlmont — was again at the center of things, pacing the Wildcats with two hits in three at-bats before closing the game out on the mound to earn the save. The do-it-all performance was a fitting capstone to a tense afternoon.

On the pitching side, Chase Gordon started for St. Ignatius and battled through three and two-thirds innings, surrendering five hits and three runs while striking out two. Leo Rhein came on in relief and got the job done, earning the win after allowing three hits and two runs over one and a third innings. 

For St. Ignatius, the difference was discipline. The Wildcats drew six walks on the day, with Jason Balmy leading the way with two. That kind of plate patience kept innings alive and ultimately set the table for the game-changing fourth.

The two teams don't have long to wait — they'll meet again Friday, this time on Mitty's home turf.