The Pacific Empire League just concluded its inaugural season, and to no one’s surprise the Healdsburg Prune Packers walked away from the field in the final standings. But while their 22-5 league record was dominant, and they secured the first-place finish and playoff home field advantage, it wasn’t always easy.
They opened last week’s play against the Lincoln Potters, playing one game in the North Sacramento suburb and the other at home in Rec Park. Intriguingly, it was a split: The Packers won the first game of the series but it was the one in Lincoln, on July 23, and the Potters took the second, in Healdsburg, on July 24.
The July 23 match was scored 8-1—it wasn’t quite a blowout, but a tight 3-1 game going into the ninth inning. The go-ahead run turned out to be a Camden Hayslip home run in the fourth inning off starter Gerald Hanson, but most of the damage was done in the final frame.
Woody Brennan came in relief of Hanson and things started to fall apart. Brennan gave up three hits, two walks and five runs during his inning of work, but an error, a couple of stolen bases, two passed balls and a wild pitch kept the runners circling the bases until the inning ended on a ground ball to third.
The next night the Packers welcomed the Potters back to Healdsburg, but starting Pack pitcher Finn Chapman barely made it out of the first inning. Three earned runs crossed the plate before the second out was logged.
Chapman was replaced in the next inning by Cole Stokes, who pitched two perfect innings before he in turn was relieved by Robert Aivazian, followed by Jacob Greiner, all of whom likewise kept the Potters’ bats largely silent.
Meanwhile the Packers got back the three runs with one in the first on scrappy baserunning, and two more in the fourth on Jonas Salk’s two-run homer. With the score tied 3-3, Tucker Bougie came in to pitch the eighth for the Packers, but gave up the winning run on Luke Mansy’s lead-off double followed by an RBI single from Will Linberg.
The final score, 4-3, turned out to be the difference between Lincoln’s second place finish, with a 15-12 record, just half a game ahead of the Humboldt Crabs at 14-12.
The weekend ended with three games against non-league opponents, the Alameda Anchors and the San Francisco Seals. The Prune Potters scored almost at will in the first two games, beating the Anchors 12-0 on Friday, and the Seals 12-3 on Saturday.
Ends With a Blast
But the return match between Alameda and Healdsburg on Sunday, July 28, provided a memorable season ender. Healdsburg got up to their old tricks with two three-run innings early to take a 6-0 lead, but the Anchors mounted a sturdy six-run rally in the fourth inning to tie.
They traded runs and the lead for the next two innings, then the Potters moved ahead 11-10 with two in the eighth when Mathew Singh doubled in a pair. Healdsburg’s efforts to follow up fell short then, but as the final inning got underway, the already-interesting game became compelling.
Bougie returned after his disappointing loss in the previous night’s game, and got three quick outs to send the Potters back to the shed. Then, with Justin Bellamy pitching in relief for Alameda, the Pack finally got moving.
With one out, pinch-hitter Jack Tatom singled, and after Salk flied out it was up to Blake McDonald, also pinch-hitting, who came up with the next hit, a single.
The double-steal that followed brought the fans in the grandstands to their feet. Center-fielder Tony Farmer fought Bellamy to a 3-2 count, with runners on second and third, putting the game just one strike away from the loss column.
Then Farmer lifted the ball high into the twilight sky and over the big left-field fence, and the Packers ended the season with a bang and a 13-11 win.
The Prune Packers closed out the regular schedule with a 36-6 accumulated record, and headed for the first PEL championship series—now underway. (See accompanying story.)
