As the final two weeks of the 2023 summer California Collegiate League season take shape, the Healdsburg Prune Packers remain in first place in the northern division with a league record of 22-3, 31-3 overall. But all eyes are on the season’s final week, when the Packers play a five-game series against the second-place Walnut Creek Crawdads, July 25-29.
This past week, the Packers took on the Menlo Park Legend in a three-game series, all games played at historic Rec Park. The Legend is a community collegiate team. And though they don’t play in the CCL Northern Division, they have had a strong season against several common opponents.
In the first game, on Friday, June 14, Healdsburg took an early lead with the first pitch of the bottom of the first, courtesy of a solo home run from Robbie Hamchuck.
The score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth, when the Packers’ Ivan Brethowr hit a two-run shot in his first game with the team. The 6-6 junior from UC Santa Barbara ended the day 2-for-5, making a strong showing and big contribution.
The Packers scored again in the sixth on an RBI single from Blake McDonald. Then they put the game away with a 5-run seventh. A slew of wild pitches from Jackson Snitco of the Legend staff brought in three of those runs, while the Healdsburg platoon of Christopher Stamos, Wyatt Tucker, Grant Cherry, Michael Rice, Elliot Gallegos and Gary Hall allowed only a single hit in the 9-0 shutout.
Hunter Dorraugh was 3-for-4 at the plate, with a double and an RBI; Brethowr was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs; and Hamcuck was 2-for-2 plus two walks that kept him in scoring position all night.
On July 15, the second game of the series got started on a hot Saturday night. The Pack once again demonstrated their dominance with three runs in the first and four more in the second inning, eventually running up a 12-1 victory.
Marv Guarin got the win with five innings of one-hit ball, that hit being a solo home run from Menlo Park’s Noah Zertuce in the fourth for the Legend’s only run.
The series ended on Sunday, July 16, with a noon start time as temperatures in Healdsburg reached the century mark. The final 5-3 score reflected the tightest game of the series, but once again home runs gave the win to the Pack.
The Packers had taken a 2-0 lead in the third inning, when Damian Bravo homered and Dorraugh, the next batter, got the first of his two four-baggers of the game.
But the Menlo Park team seemed inspired by the heat, scoring three runs in the fifth to lead for the first time in the series. All the runs came off Noah Millikan, who only gave up three hits, but all of them productive for the Legend.
With their backs to the wall in the 7th inning, the Packers managed to score twice to regain the lead. Dorraugh was hit by a pitch to open the inning, scoring on Brethowr’s double. After Joey Kramer flied out, Cameron Nickens singled in Brethowr, though the Packers’ rally fell short of a big inning as they left three men on.
In the next frame, Dorraugh hit his second home run, providing the insurance that Healdsburg needed for the 5-3 win.
The next two weeks promise some great baseball and perhaps the season’s biggest challenge. A three-game series against the Lincoln Potters (11-12) is playing out through July 20, with the last game in Healdsburg.
That’s followed by a single game against the San Francisco Seals on Friday, July 21, then a 2-game set with the Solano Mudcats on July 22-23.
The season ends in grand style, as the 2nd place Walnut Creek Crawdads and the Healdsburg Prune Packers meet for a five-game series to decide the league pennant, July 25-29. Only the Crawdads (11-6 as we go to press) have posed a challenge to the Packers; in fact, all three of Healdsburg’s league losses have come at the claws of the Crawdads.
UPDATE: The Prune Packers suffered only their fourth loss of the season on Tuesday, July 18, at the hands of the Lincoln Potters, 13-8. They evened the score on Wednesday with a 5-1 win on the Potters home field. Their league record now stands at 23-4.
Home games are at 6pm at Rec Park; tickets are $8 adults or two for $15, kids free. Prunepackers.org.
