State Amateur Baseball Tournament Run Ends for the Hartford-Humboldt Wood Ducks

The Cinderella playoff run of the Hartford-Humboldt Wood Ducks came to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday, as the Platte Killer Tomatoes scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th, and walked off with an 8-7 win in the State quarterfinals. 

The Wood Ducks, who were 2-16 in the regular season, had won four in a row in the playoffs to reach the quarterfinals. Things could not have started off much better Thursday against Platte. The Wood Ducks scored 2 runs in the first inning, on a double from Brayden Odegaard. They added a run on a passed ball in the 3rd, and then scored two more in the 4th inning to go up 5-0. 

In the 6th, Platte scored their first run off Wood Ducks starter Logan Larson, but the Wood Ducks answered back with 2 runs in the 7th to take a 7-1. But control problems began to catch up to Larson in the late innings. He allowed a run in the 7th, and 2 more in the 8th, and took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th. 

After issuing 6 walks and throwing over 165 pitches in 8 innings, Larson surprisingly came out to start the 9th on the mound. He hit the first batter of the inning, then struck out Huner Hewitt. Jeff Harris then hit a ground ball to second that looked like it might be a game ending double play. Instead, second baseman Nathan Adrian misplayed the ball and failed to record an out. From there, the inning unraveled for the Wood Ducks. Larson walked another batter to load the bases, then gave up a hit to make the score 7-6. Preston Riddle came in to relieve Larson, but walked the first batter he faced. Sheldon Gant followed with a hit to tie the game, and Mason Townsend singled to drive in the game winning run. 

The loss ended the Wood Ducks season, while the Killer Tomatoes move on to the semifinals on Saturday, where they will face Dimock-Emery. 

The quarterfinals wrap up today with Canova vs. PBR at 5:30. You can listen to that game on AM 1390. Winner/Colome will then take on Garretson in the other quarterfinal.