Softball Game Preview: Palma Chieftains vs. North Salinas Vikings

The Palma Chieftains are taking a road trip to square off against the North Salinas Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Palma hasn't scored more than two runs for nine games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.

On Friday, Palma didn't have quite enough to beat Watsonville and fell 2-1.

Sophia Cardinale

Batters Struck Out

05/09/25 @ Watsonville	11
05/07/25 vs Monterey	5
05/05/25 vs Hollister	5

Sophia Cardinale was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over 11.2 innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her six plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.

Cardinale wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brianna Hernandez, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, North Salinas came up short against Salinas on Thursday and fell 7-3. The loss continues a trend for the Vikings in their meetings with the Cowboys: they've now lost five in a row.

Palma's record now sits at 5-14-1. As for North Salinas, their record is now 6-15.

Palma beat North Salinas 7-2 in their previous matchup back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chieftains since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.