Baseball Game Preview: Palma Chieftains vs. Carmel Padres

Palma and Carmel are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Chieftains are taking a road trip to take on the Padres at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Palma is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.

Palma came out on top against Soledad on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run seventh inning. The Chieftains took their contest against the Aztecs 7-2. The victory continues a trend for the Chieftains in their matchups with the Aztecs: they've now won three in a row.

Rocco Razzeca made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.

Damian Ybarra

Doubles (Career)

04/17/25 @ Soledad	2
04/08/25 @ St. Francis	1
03/25/25 vs Salinas	1
03/22/25 @ Menlo School	1

In other batting news, Wyatt Bakker and Damian Ybarra did most of the damage at the plate: Bakker got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Ybarra went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave Ybarra a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alan Gonzalez, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Meanwhile, Carmel didn't have quite enough to beat St. Francis on Thursday and fell 6-5.

Sean Carr made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run and one double. Skyler Brown also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.

Palma's record now sits at 14-4. As for Carmel, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-5.

Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palma hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. However, it's not like Carmel struggles in that department as they've averaged .314. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.