Healdsburg pushes first-place record to 10-1
The Healdsburg Prune Packers and the weather had a lot in common this week – both had a full summer sizzle on in California Collegiate League (CCL) baseball.
The Pack reeled off six wins in a seven day stretch to take control of the CCL North with a 5-1 divisional record and 10-1 on the season.
The carnage began on June 15 with a 13-1 rout over the SF Force and continued with subsequent wins over the Lincoln Potters (24-2, 5-3), SF Seals (10-9, 14-4), finishing up the week with a 14-3 road drubbing over the Potters.
Winning steak reaches eight
Healdsburg was riding a wave of momentum when it played host to the SF Seals on June 18, with Recreation Park temperatures soaring to 105 degrees. With Noah Rennard (6 IP, 6 hits, 0 ERs, 4 Ks) on the hill for the Pack, the teams traded leads through the first four frames. The game was knotted at 4-4 when Healdsburg busted it wide open in a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Blake Burke, for a comfortable, 9-4 lead. But the visitors would not go quietly as the Seals came storming back with five of their own in the top of the seventh to forge an unlikely tie ballgame at 9-9.
Healdsburg would end the madness with the winning run in the bottom of the frame on a solo homer from Seth Nager. Relievers Spencer Hynes (2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ERs, 2 Ks, WP) and Finnegan Wall (1 IP, 1 hit, K, save) closed it out to preserve a 10-9 win.
Pacing the Healdsburg hitting corps were Burke (2 for 5, HR, run, 4 RBIs), Nager (2 for 4, HR 2 runs, RBI), Jesse Lopez (2 for 4, 3B, run, RBI), Cole Elvis (1 for 4, HR, run, 3 RBIs), Blake Pivaroff (1 for 4, run) and Ian McMillan (1 for 3, 2B, 2 runs).        Â
The Packers ended the suspense early in Saturday’s home rematch with the Seals, pushing across seven runs in the third inning en route to a 14-4 romp. Starting pitcher Tyler Stasiowski (5 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 0 BBs, 5 Ks) earned the victory while other hurlers included Uday Narottam (2 IP, 1 hit, 2 ERs, 2 BBs, 5 Ks), Owen Hamilton (1 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 2 BBs, 2 Ks) and Ed Sarti (1 IP, 0 hits, 0 ERs, 0 BBs, K). Leading hitters were McMillan (2 for 3, HR, run, 2 RBIs), Nager (2 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Blake McDonald (1 for 1, HR, run, 2 RBIs), Torin Montgomery (2 for 5, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Logan Douglass (1 for 2, run, RBI), Braydon Runion (1 for 4, 2 runs) and Pivaroff (1 for 2, run).
Healdsburg wrapped up a tremendous week in Sunday’s visit to Lincoln, pounding out another 13 hits in a 14-3 drubbing over the Potters. Marcus Guarin (3 IP, 1 hit, 0 ERs, 1 BB, 5 Ks) notched the win while Henrik Reinertsen (2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ERs, 0 BBs), Charlie Hurley (2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ERs, 3 BBs, 2 Ks) and Tyler Stromsborg (2 IP, 0 hits, BB, K) also logged mound duty for the Packers.
Leading hitters included Lopez (2 for 4, HR, run, 4 RBIs), McDonald (2 for 5, HR, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Elvis (2 for 5, HR, run, 3 RBIs), Runion (2 for 4, 2B, 3 runs, RBI) and Burke (2 for 5, 2 2Bs, 2 runs). It was the third straight game with three players going deep for Healdsburg.
Upcoming games
At press time the Packers were preparing to host the Solano Mudcats on Tuesday, June 22 (Recreation Park, 6 p.m.), followed road games at the Walnut Creek Crawdads (June 23, St. Mary’s College, 4:30 p.m.) and Lincoln Potters (June 24, 6:05 p.m.). Healdsburg will finish the week in the friendly confines when it entertains the West Coast Kings on June 25-26, 6 p.m.), followed by a clash with the visiting Potters on Sunday, June 27 in a 12 p.m. start.
