The Palma Chieftains will challenge the Monterey Dores at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Palma has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while Monterey will come in with eight straight victories.
On Monday, Palma came up short against Hollister and fell 6-1.
Analysia Rocha was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Monterey got the win against Watsonville on Friday by a conclusive 10-1. Considering the Dores have won seven matches by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ella Myers was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Denae Lee, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eastin Jennings, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run.
Monterey always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Watsonville only posted an OBP of .185.
Monterey's win was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-3-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Palma, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-12-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Palma has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Monterey struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Palma came up short against Monterey when the teams last played back in April, falling 5-0. Will the Chieftains have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
