Legends Sweep Prune Packers, Sights Set on Pearl

Healdsburg, Calif. – In what was arguably the most important series of the year for both the Menlo Park Legends and the Healdsburg Prune Packers, it was the Legends that were able to squeeze the most out of every game. Using a strong offensive explosion the first game and solid pitching in the final two games, the Legends were able to sweep the Prune Packers at Recreation Park and push themselves into second place in the California Collegiate League North Division. With only two and a half weeks left remaining in the regular season, the Legends continue to position themselves nicely for a chance at the playoffs. The Legends are now 22-11 and 10-8 in CCL play, while the Prune Packers are 25-13 and 9-10 in CCL play. Just as impressive, the Legends have now won seven consecutive games, with six of those being conference games.

In the opener of the series on Saturday, the Legends got up early and they buried the Prune Packers in a seven inning contest. The Legends scored three in the first, two coming on a Sean Watkins two-run double, to jump out to the early 3-0 lead. Two more would score in the second, one more in the third, and the game would be busted open in the fifth as the Legends added on five runs. Some of the standout performers offensively were Watkins, who went 3-5 with 4 RBI; Nick Brooks, who went 3-4 with 3 RBI; and Ryan McCarthy, who hit his first homerun of the summer, a two-run blast to straightaway center field. Tyler Ivey was on the mound for the Legends and he pitched all seven innings en route to his third win of the summer. He batted through what was probably not his best stuff and allowed six hits, three runs, walked four and struck out five. But on a day when he did not have his best stuff, the Legends offense backed him up. Game one of the doubleheader went to the Legends by a final of 12-3.

The back end of the two-game Saturday slate featured much less offense and much better pitching on both sides. Jacob Wilcox was on the mound for Menlo Park and he delivered six shutout innings, allowing five hits, walking just one and striking out four. The Legends backed him up in the second inning when Dempsey Grover struck out but reached first on a dropped-third strike. He would single-handedly score the first run of the game after he advanced to second on a passed ball, stole third, and scored on a throwing error to third by the catcher for Healdsburg. The score would hold 1-0 until the top of the fifth when the Legends loaded the bases with just one out. Looking to do some damage, Nick Brooks took a pitch to the elbow, but it drove home a run. Two batters later, Grover would walk home another run, and the Legends scored two runs without having a ball leave the infield. That 3-0 score would prove to be the final as Ryan Lefner pitched the final three innings in lockdown fashion to earn his first save and get Wilcox his second win.

The series finale on Sunday night was easily the most entertaining game of the series. The Prune Packers got on the board first with a two-run homerun in the first off of starting pitcher Tanner Disibio and this began a back-and-forth scoring sequence for most of the game. The Legends made it 2-1 in the third when Miguel Pimental singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a passed ball, and stole home on what was an attempted double-steal (it turned out to be ball four on the batter, but the throw went to second anyways). The Prune Packers responded with one in the bottom of the fourth, so Menlo Park got it back in the fifth on a Nick Brooks broken-bat single. Healdsburg chased Disibio in the fifth after allowing his fourth run of the game, and Kevin Hahn came in to end the fifth with just the one run scoring. Fortunately for Menlo Park, they got Disibio off the hook in the sixth after Justin Jacobs hit a fielder’s choice that scored a run, and Tyler Nelin delivered an opposite field two-out single to tie the game at 4-4. In the seventh, Ryan McCarthy doubled with two outs to send Brooks to third, and Brooks scored after the right fielder for Healdsburg misplayed the ball. The Legends took their first lead of the game at that point 5-4. Kevin Hahn was pulled at that point, and Sean Watkins delivered two scoreless innings. Calvin Riley took the hill for the ninth and was able to earn his first save of the summer after stranding the tying run at first base. The Legends won 5-4 and earned a decisive sweep of Healdsburg.

The Legends now sit just 1.5 games behind the Neptune Beach Pearl for first place in the CCL North. If the season ended after this series, however, the Legends would make the CCL playoffs as the only wild card team. Playoff spots are given to each division champion (North, South, Central), and the top finisher that did not win a division. Menlo Park still has three games remaining against the Pearl, two against the Prune Packers, and two against the Crawdads. The Legends return to action on Tuesday after a day off Monday and host the Bercovich Gold in a non-conference game. First pitch is at 5:00 and the game will be played at the Legends home field for the remainder of the summer, Baylands Athletic Center in Palo Alto. If you can’t make it to the field, catch the game live on the Legends Radio Network.