In the rain-induced wait to play Saturday’s Class 3A semifinal, the Chanhassen players spent time in the bowels of CHS Field, taking a little pre-game batting practice.

It was then that designated hitter Jack Mattson knew the Storm were in for a good day. “The ball was sounding different coming off our bats,” Mattson said. “I knew were ready.”

One day after needing nine innings to scratch out the only run of the game in a quarterfinals victory, Chanhassen wasted little time generating offense. The Storm scored twice in the bottom of the first inning and riding that momentum to a 7-2 victory over Armstrong.

The team earned a berth in Monday’s state championship game at Target Field, the first time any team from the seven-year-old school has reached the finals.

“That feels great,” said starting pitcher Logan Graves, who improved his record to 7-0 by moving the ball around the strike zone for six innings against the Falcons. “It’s been a long time coming.”

The Storm (25-4) made its reputation this season through its offense, scoring in double-figures seven times, including three consecutive times in the brutal Section 2 playoffs. Their 1-0 quarterfinals victory over St. Michael-Albertville wasn’t completely satisfying, Mattson acknowledged.

 “That’s all we talked about coming over here,” Mattson said. “We were joking around that we were saving our runs for the rest of the tournament.”

It was Mattson who wielded the big bat Saturday. He stroked a two-run double in the bottom of the first off of Armstrong starter Jack Wibben, staking the Storm to an early 2-0 lead. He doubled again in the third inning for his third RBI and lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth for his fourth, driving in Denzer for the third time.

“He makes my job so much easier,” Mattson said. “Pitchers get nervous when he’s on base, so I get some good pitches to hit.”

Armstrong had a brief rally in the fifth inning, scoring twice on an triple by Cory Gilbert followed by a single by Joshua Thorp, but Graves slammed the door shut thereafter.

Denzer, who will play at Division I Kansas next year, said the Storm’s aggressive approach at the plate is what sets them apart.

“We’ve got a lot of talent and we’re a good hitting club,” he said. “We’re relentless. “

Perhaps Saturday’s rain was a good omen.

In Friday’s sun-soaked conditions, it took Chanhassen nine innings to scratch out a run. Saturday, after starting its Class 3A semifinal game nearly four hours late due to the weather, the Storm (ahem) needed just five batters to score.

Chanhassen (25-4) scored two runs in the first, third and fourth innings en route to a 7-2 victory over Armstrong (17-10). 

The Storm will play Lakeville North on Monday at Target Field in the Class 3A championship game, the first state championship game appearance for any Chanhassen team in the school's seven-year history.

Jack Mattson went 2-for-2 with four RBI to pace Chanhassen’s nine-hit attack. His two-run double in the bottom of the first staked the Storm to a 2-0 lead they never relinquished. 

Senior Logan Graves pitched six innings, giving up four hits and two runs, to earn the victory. Jared Davidson, Friday’s offensive hero, pitched the seventh inning.

Check back later for more on the game.