UPDATE: The Prune Packers lost their first game of the season Wednesday night, falling to the Humboldt Crabs, 6-3. Story to follow…
To look at the scoreboard of many recent Healdsburg Prune Packers games, one might think that’s softball being played on the field. The June 8 win over the California Red Tails came in at 13-3. They beat the South Bay Storm the night before, 22-1.
On June 14, the Stockton Pearls fell 20-1, and the Bay Area Marauders went down 24-5 on June 15. These are scores more frequently found on diamonds where the bases are 60 feet apart, not 90. In softball, at least at the high school level, the “mercy rule” ends a game early if there’s a 10-point spread. No such rule affects collegiate baseball.
When asked if such run-up scores were “fair,” Packers coach Joey Gomez responded: “Yes, it is fair. Some days you’re on the right side of it, some days you’re not. It’s more about the process, plan and approach to the daily routines that will always separate our team from them. Care about the little things and focus on the basics.”
Notably, however, the Packers’ closest games have come for the most part against other teams in the Pacific Empire League, the PEL. Included is the 7-6 win over the Solano Mudcats on June 11, and on Wednesday of this week as we go to press the team was locked in a tight match with the Humboldt Crabs.
The Crabs, too, are undefeated, 12-0 in the season—Healdsburg got off to a late start, so it stands at 7 wins, no losses. Some of the Crab scores, too, are lopsided—17-7 over Novato Knicks, 13-5 over the Lincoln Potters and 14-0 on June 6 over the Fresno A’s.
As we go to press the Prune Packers have just won the first battle between the two teams, 11-6 over the Crabs. Which means only the Pack has a perfect season to this point—so far. But two more games at Rec Park this week between the two teams might show that even the Prune Packers can be beaten.
Games are played on the Art McCaffrey Field at Rec Park, usually with a 6pm first pitch. Follow the Packers at prunepackers.org.
