The 18-game winning streak that made the Prune Packers the wonder of West Coast baseball ended on Sunday, June 25, as the Solano Mudcats won the first game of a Sunday double-header, 4-2.
The second game found Prune Packers restoring their dominance with an impressive shutout against the Mudcats. In seven innings of work, the Prune Packers pitchers allowed just three batters to reach base, while striking out 11. The final score was 9-0.
The opening game of the Sunday double-header still found Packers’ infielder Will Hodo (Alabama) having an impressive game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. This week he has been batting .647 with 11 hits, a home run and a double while adding four RBI and two walks.
Other offensive leaders for the Packers this far into the 2023 season include Robbie Hamchuck at .534, Jared Sundstrom batting .500 and Hunter Dorraugh a very respectable .475. All of these players have a minimum of 45 at bats, and several players with fewer at bats also hover around the .500 mark.
But after their usual Monday off, the Packers fell for the second time in three games as the Walnut Creek Crawdads scored a 5-2 win in Concord on June 27. The two teams played again on Wednesday, June 28, results too late for press time.
The losses brought to an end the remarkable winning streak for the reigning California Collegiate League champs, who have a three-peat in their sights to build on winning seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Even with the losses, the Packers are still in a dominant position in league standings. As we go to press, they sport a 12-2 league record, 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Crawdads (8-3) in the CCL North Division.
Regardless of recent scores, Healdsburg fans have a lot to look forward to over the coming Fourth of July weekend. After Thursday’s rematch (6pm) against the Crawdads at Rec Park, the Packers open a three-game series against the Sonoma Stompers—the only other Sonoma County team in the CCL—with the Saturday game played at home, and Friday and Sunday in Sonoma at Arnold Field.
At present, the Stompers are in fourth place with a 5-7 league record, but they’ve been racking up their wins recently and are hungry to make an impact in the division. It goes without saying there’s a rivalry between the two neighboring teams, and baseball fans would do well to show up at Rec Park on Saturday, July 1, for the 6pm game.
On the 4th of July itself, a Tuesday, the Packers host the Novato Nicks in a star-spangled 5pm game at Rec Park. The Packers honor Healdsburg’s own “first responders,” as Bell’s Ambulance throws out the first pitch at 5pm. The game kicks off a four-game homestand, a perfect opportunity to take the family and other fans to the park to see what all the shouting is about.
UPDATE: The Walnut Creek Crawdads scored another upset on June 28, defeating the Healdsburg Prune Packers, 5-4.
