Six-run inning propels Hartford/Humboldt Wood Ducks to first-ever Class B state semifinal appearance
Hartford-Humboldt Wood Ducks relief pitcher celebrates the final out of the Wood Ducks 11-6 win over the Canova Gang during the quarterfinals of the South Dakota State Amateur Baseball Tournament Friday, August 14, 2026 in Mitchell. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)
MITCHELL — In just its second-ever tournament appearance, the Hartford/Humboldt Wood Ducks are semifinal bound.
The Wood Ducks utilized a six-run inning to take down Canova, 11-6, in the quarterfinals of the Class B state tournament on Friday. Hartford/Humboldt will take on Clark in the semifinals on Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
“It was a great team win,” said Hartford/Humboldt right fielder JJ Jesson. “Everybody put in the effort from top to bottom. We were getting timely hits, making great plays in the field and our pitching was immaculate.”
The Wood Ducks (19-6) offense pounded out 10 hits, scoring nine of its 11 runs in just two innings to power into the semifinals.
Knotted at 1-1 through four innings, H/H exploded for a six-run fifth inning to break the quarterfinal matchup open.
Jesson kicked off the inning with an RBI single to left field, scoring CJ Den Boer from second base, Brodie Herr scored on a passed ball two batters while later, Brody Jacobson scored a run on a single to left field while Camdyn McDonald and Chad Hunt each plated a run on a walk and a hit batsmen.
“We just kept having great at-bats and having traffic on the bases,” said Wood Ducks manager Jacob Ellens. “They couldn’t handle the pressure, and we made them pay for it. Good team win.”
Canova (18-9) scored two runs back in the ensuing half inning in what turned into an inning-ending double play, setting up a lead-off home run from Jesson that cleared the scoreboard over the 340-foot right field fence.
“As soon as I hit it I knew it was gone, it was just a matter of how far,” Jesson, who had two hits and two RBIs, said of his homer. “I was sitting that pitch, I saw it in warmups and just knew that was my pitch and I went for it.”
Wood Ducks starting pitcher Drew Eldeen was able to hold his own against a potent Canova lineup, allowing five runs on three hits and six walks in seven innings with five strikeouts.
“Eldeen has been our ace all season long and he’s put up performances like that all season long,” Ellens said. “Hats off to him, he threw his butt off. Great pitcher, great teammate, great guy.”
But after back-to-back walks to start the eighth inning, Jesson relieved Eldeen to try and close out the win.
Canova scored a run on a groundout by Jared Miller followed by a walk, hit batsmen and a Kendall Gassman RBI single to cut the lead to 8-6 with the tying run on first base. Jesson struck out Canova’s Derek Miller to strand the tying run.
Then, the Wood Ducks’ bats got hot again in the ninth inning. Den Boer hit an RBI triple to score Tyler Tappe (Madison Broncos pick-up player), while Herr broke the game open once more on a two-RBI single.
With a five-run lead, the Wood Ducks secured the quarterfinal win and its first-ever appearance in the state semifinals.
“That was a huge relief mentally and then we just had to go chase outs,” Ellens said of the ninth inning. “We were trading runs for outs at that point and just finishing the game off. Now we’re onto the semifinals.”
Jacobson had two hits, a walk, and two RBIs in the win, Herr had two RBIs on a hit and a walk, Den Boer drove in a run on two hits while Hunt and McDonald each had an RBI.
Canova’s Jared Miller took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in 4.1 innings, striking out two. Kendall Gasman and Justin Miller each drove in two runs while Jared Miller and Garret Gassman each plated one run.
Two years removed from a Cinderella run to the Class B state quarterfinals, the Wood Ducks are knocking on the door to a state championship game appearance, and will be bringing a different mindset into Saturday’s semifinal matchup against the Clark Traders at 7:30 p.m.
“It feels like we truly belong here,” Jesson said. “We’ve been playing great all year, we’ve only been out-hit twice the entire year as far as I can remember. So it really feels like the timely hits are coming, we’re lining up runs together. We deserve to be here.”